The Advantages of Being Sane
by Leyrann
Summary: When Harry and Cedric grab the Cup, they are transported to a graveyard, where Harry witnesses the resurrection of Lady Voldemort... who isn't quite what he'd expected. For one, she isn't trying to kill him. For another, she doesn't seem to like the Death Eaters either. Harry/fem!Voldemort.
1. Prologue: In the Graveyard

**AN: I got an idea and it just **_**didn't. Let. Go.**_** Just wrote this entire prologue in one single sitting, and I already know where I want to take the story. I also expect it to be roughly 50k words in length – though it could realistically be anything between 30k and 100k – so I figured I should just make this my Camp Nano project instead. So, I won't be writing nearly as much Recursion, but instead you get a story that is – hopefully – finished by the end of the month.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything Harry Potter-related.

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**Prologue: In the Graveyard**

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"Stun the other."

A red flash, and Cedric fell to the ground, unconscious. Before Harry had time to react, red light flashed again, and his wand flew out of his hand, caught by the hooded man. A sequence of "_Immobulus, Wingardium Leviosa, Incarcerous_" tied Harry to a gravestone. Shocked, Harry noticed the name on it. Tom Riddle.

Riddle, of course, had been Voldemort's real surname. He'd met a younger version of her – when she still called herself Tess Riddle – in the Chamber of Secrets two years ago.

As the hooded man continued his work, Harry noticed he was missing a finger of his hand, and with shock he realized it was Wormtail, and the words of prophecy shot through his mind. _The Dark Lady will rise again with her servant's aid, greater and more powerful than ever she was_.

In horror, he watched as the ritual unfolded. Bone of the father. Flesh of the servant. Blood of the enemy. And thus Lady Voldemort rose again. Impatiently, she demanded Wormtail to clothe her, and then she stepped out of the cauldron, and Harry looked at his greatest fear. The visage of his nemesis was paler than bone, accentuated by bright red eyes. She had two slits where her nose should be, and was completely bald. The woman looked him over and got a pale wand out of her robes as she smiled and pointed it at him.

"What a lovely evening."

Harry struggled in his bonds, but was unable to move even an inch.

"_Stupefy. Expelliarmus. Rennervate._"

The wand moved so fast it appeared like a blur in Harry's eyes as Wormtail fell to the ground and Cedric's wand flew to Voldemort's hand just as he woke up.

"There was not supposed to be a second," Voldemort said, looking at Cedric. "No matter, we'll work it out." She waved her wand at Harry, and the ropes vanished.

"Harry Potter, we've met before, of course. Please, stand, you cannot be in a comfortable position like that. And you must be Cedric Diggory, right?"

Harry strengthened his resolve as he stood. "Voldemort," he growled, causing Cedric to gasp. "What do you want from me?"

Voldemort returned a smile and conjured two chairs. "To talk. Please, sit down, both of you. You've had a hard day with that maze and I wouldn't want you to fall over." She grinned, a truly frightening sight. "Meanwhile, I'm bursting with energy and life, so please don't mind that I will remain upright for the moment."

Wary and not having much of a choice, Harry moved to one of the chairs and sat down. Cedric, looking about as suspicious, did the same.

"Now, where to start…" Voldemort muttered, pacing back and forth. "You'd think I know what to say after more than a decade to think about it." Absentmindedly, she shot a spell at Wormtail's bleeding stump, which immediately dried up. "I suppose the first thing I should tell you is that catching a Killing Curse – even a rebounding one – does wonders for one's sanity. You're probably better off forgetting everything you know about me. It may have been true in the past, but it won't be in the future." She waved her wand again and a third chair appeared, opposite Harry and Cedric, and she sat down in a ladylike posture, legs crossed.

"And, more than anything, I owe you an apology, Harry Potter. Over time, the choices I have made have led me down a path that culminated in the murder of your parents, leaving you an orphan. As an orphan myself, I know just how much you have missed in life. I'm sorry."

Harry gaped at her. What was she trying to do? He was at her mercy, and she didn't kill him – she wasn't even gloating, like the last two times they'd met. And beyond that, she was looking him straight in the eye, and either she was an even better actor than Harry thought – which really was quite possible – or she was actually sincere.

"What do you want?" he asked again. Cedric still hadn't spoken.

"During my life," Voldemort spoke, "I saw myself forced, at times, to take regrettable actions. I believed them to be necessary for my own safety, or to alleviate some of the fears I had. Some of the choices I made caused something else. You see, over time, I started to go insane. You know the rest, as does everyone else. However, then came that Halloween night. The prophecy spoke of a person who could be a threat to me—"

"Prophecy?" Harry asked.

Voldemort looked at him, confused. "Dumbledore never told you? There is a prophecy foretelling that 'the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lady approaches'. I will admit I do not know the entire prophecy, you'd have to ask Dumbledore about that, as he witnessed it. To get back on track – I believed you to be a threat because of what the prophecy said, so I decided to kill you. I'm not entirely certain what your mother did, but it created a protection powerful enough to reflect the Killing Curse I threw at you to myself. If it weren't for the… precautions I had taken, it would've killed me like it would have killed anyone else. It did not, however. It only reduced me to a wraith – as I'm sure you're aware, considering we met three years ago. More importantly, however, it restored my sanity. Let me tell you that sudden sanity after terrorizing a country for a decade is…" She paused, looking for the right word. "Agonizing. I've spent several months barely able to form coherent thought after that Halloween. When I got out of that, I started thinking about the situation here in Britain."

She looked at the teenagers for a moment.

"I've heard… snippets, during the last year, but tell me, what do you think about House Slytherin? Don't mince your words, I know the truth."

"Close-minded bigots," Cedric said.

Voldemort nodded. "When I'd reached the point where I had lost enough of my sanity to come to believe it was a good idea to overthrow the government, I needed to find a way to gather followers. Now, I'm not sure if you're aware, but I am actually a halfblood myself. My father" – she gestured to the grave Wormtail had defiled earlier – "was a muggle, while my mother was a near-squib from an inbred line, who died giving birth to me. I was raised in a muggle orphanage. For all intents and purposes, except a maternal relationship to Slytherin, no matter how remote, I'm muggleborn. Do you know why I chose pureblood supremacy to gather people to my banner?"

Despite who he was listening to, Harry found himself interested. "No?" he asked, urging her to go on.

"Because the powerful, rich families believe in it," Voldemort said as she stood up and started pacing again. "The Malfoys, the Lestranges, the Blacks – most of them –, and so on. By declaring myself in favor of blood superiority, I gained allegiance from a powerful segment of the population. Now that I'm a little more sane, I find myself not looking at ways to gain power, but rather at how it was so easy for me to gain it before. Do you know the conclusion I've come to?"

She looked at Harry and Cedric for a few seconds before continuing.

"The Magical British society is rotten, with or without my influence. On top of that, the Ministry is corrupt enough to basically leave those people in charge – look no further than Lucius Malfoy for proof of that." An unsettling smile came over her face. "Wouldn't it be nice if those bigots would find themselves killed participating in illegal activities? A raid gone wrong, an insane Dark Lady killing them for their failures, maybe some infighting, or a few tragic accidents… I think you know what I'm getting at, don't you?"

"You want to fake a war to get the Death Eaters killed?" Harry asked.

She nodded.

"I don't believe you. I saw you in first year, when you were trying to get the Stone. You tried to kill me!"

She shook her head. "You still had your mother's protection, Harry. I knew full well I could not kill you. I will admit I attempted to steal the Stone and regain a body in that manner – it was easier than this method I used today. When you entered that room, I knew Dumbledore would not be far behind, and I had already created my plan to get the Death Eaters killed in war at the time, so I knew I would need him to see me as an enemy. The man means well, but he lacks the hardness to do what must be done. Though, I believe I should apologize for that day too. Until the physical contact actually happened, I had not realized how much power it would take out of you. If I had known, I would have delayed longer and 'fled' when Dumbledore caught up."

"And you also opened the Chamber!" Harry said. "You killed Myrtle!"

Cedric looked at him, confused.

"Ah," Voldemort sighed. "Yes, I did open the Chamber. In a way, that was the first big mistake I made. I had no intention of actually killing anyone at the time, you know. It was… a plaything, for me. When Myrtle died, it became completely different for me, and I reacted wrong. If you know about the Chamber, I suppose you've encountered my diary?"

Harry nodded.

"I'd hoped Lucius would be smart enough to keep it with him until I returned and could take it back. At least I hope no one died this time?"

Harry shook his head. "Only petrifications. The girl that got possessed by the diary almost died, though."

"But she didn't? What happened?"

Harry was about to answer when he remembered who he was talking to, upon which he decided to keep his mouth shut.

Voldemort sighed and nodded. "It's okay. We can leave that story for another day. When Myrtle died, I was afraid someone would discover the truth and I would be executed for it. I had already been looking into various ways of immortality because it intrigued me, and I had come across a method of immortality that seemed almost tailored to my situation. It required very little, apart from a murder and a few actions that I will not repeat. The murder had already been committed, even if I hadn't meant for it to happen, and the other actions, no matter how vile, did not require me to harm anyone. I performed the ritual, and put part of my soul into my diary. As long as the diary existed, I would be immortal." She gave a wry smile. "If only the book would have mentioned the ritual took away part of my sanity…"

"But the diary is gone!" Harry said. "Why aren't you dead then?"

"Because, idiot that I am, I thought it was a good idea to repeat the ritual several more times. You see, the first ritual made me hateful enough that I killed my father when I found out he was still alive and had never even looked for me. With his death, I created the second. That made me insane enough to kill to make a third, and by that point I'd started to believe I was so far above everyone else that I deserved to rule Magical Britain. But our talk is starting to take too long. I intend to send you back to Hogwarts, Harry, and spin a nice tale about my resurrection, how I called the Death Eaters here, and how we dueled and you somehow managed to escape. As for you, Cedric… I hadn't ever intended for you to be here, Harry was supposed to win the tournament on his own, but I could use some help from people who don't believe in blood supremacy. Are you willing to fake your death for the coming years? I will personally train you, so you don't need to worry about that. By the time I'm done with you, only me, Bellatrix, Dumbledore and maybe Harry here will be able to match you."

"You're… letting us go?" Harry asked in disbelief.

"Yes," Voldemort said, plainly. "I've killed enough people, now it's time for me to save some."

"Fake my death?" Cedric asked.

"If I had still been insane, you would never even have survived until my resurrection. If we want to keep up appearances, people will have to believe you're dead. And… well, the Death Eaters can hardly be killed in action if they don't get any action, so I will have to send them on raids and things like that. If I would have someone – or perhaps even multiple people – on hand to make sure no innocents were caught in them, that would help immensely. So it would help me out twice." She sighed. "Actually, I don't think I'm willing to let you leave, no matter the circumstances. I'm sorry for not giving you a choice here, but if people start to suspect my goals have changed, it might all fall apart. And once again, I will personally train you."

"This is just a ruse, isn't it?" Cedric said. "I… I don't trust you. No, I'd rather die than serve you."

Voldemort sighed. "Do you two know what an Unbreakable Vow is?"

Cedric nodded, but Harry shook his head.

"It's basically what the name implies," Voldemort told Harry. "A Vow that cannot be broken. Trying to do so kills the one who speaks the Vow. It requires three people. One to request the terms of the Vow, one to agree to it, and one to cast it. I can command Wormtail to cast the Vow for us, as I intend to obliviate him anyway – he, too, is to believe Cedric is dead."

"What… what would the terms of the Vow be?" Cedric asked.

"The exact wording is up to you, obviously, but I would suggest something along the lines of 'do you, Tess Riddle, guarantee I, Cedric Diggory, will not need to participate in any activities commonly associated with Death Eaters, and do you guarantee I will not need to support the phenomenon commonly known as 'blood superiority'?' Would that do?"

"What proof do I have that 'Tess Riddle' is your real name?"

"It is," Harry said. "Dumbledore confirmed it to me two years ago."

Cedric nodded. "I will do it then, seeing as you're not giving me the choice to walk away."

Voldemort pointed her wand at Pettigrew. "_Rennervate, Confundus_. Wormtail, you are to cast an Unbreakable Vow for me and Cedric Diggory here. And give me Harry Potter's wand."

Wormtail walked to the trio, dazed by the Confundus Charm, and handed over the wand, standing ready for the Vow. Voldemort stuck out her hand, and Cedric, still somewhat wary, clasped it, then started talking.

"Do you, Tess Riddle, guarantee that I, Cedric Diggory, will not need to participate in any activities commonly associated with Death Eaters?"

"I guarantee it."

A ribbon of fire shot out from Wormtail's wand and spun around the clasped hands.

"And do you guarantee I will not need to support the phenomenon commonly known as 'blood superiority' in any way?"

"I guarantee it."

A second ribbon released.

When Cedric did not ask for anything more, the ribbons started writhing around their hands for several seconds, until sinking into the skin, and they unclasped their hands. Voldemort pointed her wand as Wormtail once again. "_Obliviate. Stupefy._" The rat fell to the ground.

"I'll have to obliviate him again after we're done here," Voldemort muttered. "Ah well, I didn't want to risk him getting any ideas in the meantime. Traitor. Time for the final part. We're going to send you back to Hogwarts, Harry, and you're going to have to spin some lies. About how Cedric got killed on arrival, my resurrection, the arrival of the Death Eaters and your miraculous escape. It may be hard to keep it consistent, however, and I have absolutely no intention to give you fake memories of any kind. The thing is, I have heard that you can throw off the Imperius Curse. Is that correct?"

"Uh, yes…"

"With the knowledge you can end it at any time, are you willing to be put under it to make certain the story you tell is such that it corresponds to my old methods?"

Harry hesitated. "Is that safe?"

Voldemort chuckled. "You only have my word to take for it, but after tonight I hope you have an idea of my newfound priorities. Yes, it is completely safe, and is in fact a strategy I have employed in the past to allow for better coordination when working together with another person in situations where conversation is not possible. As long as the target does not resist, it is really easy for the caster of the curse to control both bodies. And as soon as you do resist… Well, I'll have to either let go or risk either the people around you or the Death Eaters around me noticing something is wrong. Oh, and before you get worried, I will obliviate the Death Eaters so they will remember the same story I will be telling through you. Can't have loose ends like that sticking around."

"And what if you're not giving me active orders?" Harry asked.

"Then you won't notice anything different. The default state of the Imperius is to just continue doing what you'd normally do. You will do nothing out of the ordinary unless I prompt you to do so and you either cannot or will not resist." She smiled. "From what I heard, the 'cannot resist' isn't much of a problem for you."

She reached into her robes, where she'd hidden Harry's wand, and was about to give it to him when she gasped. A single wave caused a spray of golden sparks.

"I've _never_ come across a wand so compatible with me as this one," Voldemort said. "Do you happen to know anything about that?" She handed it over.

"Mr. Ollivander said our wands have a core from the same phoenix," Harry admitted.

"We do?" Voldemort asked. "Take a few steps backward and send a stunner at me. I'll counter with a stunner of my own. I want to see what happens."

Harry did as she instructed. The moment the red beam shot from his wand, another shot from Voldemort's wand – only she had bothered with neither an incantation nor any wand movement. The beams met in the middle, and turned golden as Harry's wand started vibrating heavily. Just as Harry felt like he was starting to lift off the ground, Voldemort snapped the connection away by pulling her wand.

"Interesting," she said. "Once all this is over, we should look into it more. I bet people like Ollivander and Dumbledore would love to watch the effects. Well, we _really_ should get to it. Are you ready, Harry?"

"How do I get back?"

"The Trophy is a portkey. _Imperio_."

That sensation of bliss washed over him like it had before when Moody had put him under the spell. Rather than throw it off, he let it rule him… and then it disappeared.

"Did… did I throw it off by accident?" Harry asked, confused.

Voldemort remained silent as she stepped up to him, closer than she had before, and brushed his hair back. She was just a little taller than him, allowing her to inspect his scar without having to stand on her toes.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked.

"Interesting…" Voldemort muttered, not replying. She stepped back and her eyes went blank as she stared into the distance, focusing on something Harry couldn't see.

_Hello_.

Harry jumped. Where had that voice come from? In front of him, Voldemort smiled.

"Remember what I told you about putting pieces of my soul in various items to ensure my immortality?" Harry nodded, and Voldemort continued. "I had meant to do that again when I came to kill you in 1981, and had already done the preparations. I think the rebounding Killing Curse wedged the piece of my soul that I would use loose, and it instead attached to you. That seems to have established a connection between us, which could be very useful in the times to come. A form of mental communication between us… We'll be playing both sides of the chess board, Harry."

Harry wasn't so enthusiastic about having a connection to Voldemort, even if she seemed to have changed a lot from the Voldemort everyone knew. Then, a horrific possibility entered his mind.

"Wait… if those pieces of your soul make sure you can't die, does that mean you cannot die unless I die first?"

Voldemort nodded. "Unless someone would find a way to separate my soulpiece from your body, yes. But for that matter… Do you know why I went through the effort of getting you through that tournament and making sure I used _your_ blood for my resurrection, Harry?"

He shook his head.

"Two reasons. First, having you blood in my veins cancels out the protection your mother gave you. I was certain it would become inconvenient at one point or another if I didn't do that. But more importantly, it gives _you_ a protection. As long as I am alive in this body, you are _also_ bound to this world. If someone wants to kill you, Harry, I have to lose this body first. And believe me, I'd rather not become a wraith again. But shall we send you back now?"

Harry nodded. _As long as I am alive in this body, you are also bound to this world_. That was basically a promise she would never turn against him. Suddenly, the bliss of the Imperius Curse returned – he hadn't even noticed the incantation – and he followed it's orders. Voldemort had transfigured some rubble into a perfect lookalike of Cedric, except - obviously - appearing quite dead, and Harry grabbed it before taking the Cup in his other hand. The jerk behind his navel pulled him away from the graveyard, back to Hogwarts.

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**AN: For those wondering, Voldemort noticed a second soul when she put Harry under the Imperius, that's how she discovered the horcrux.**


	2. Ch 1: The Night After

**AN1: On his request, I am naming Grimjaw the godfather of this story, as the idea came to me after he told me about the fic Limpieza de Sangre by TheEndless7, which uses a somewhat similar premise. I should perhaps note that I have not actually read this fic myself, except for a short skim of the first chapter, and that any similarities other than the premise are completely coincidental.**

**AN2: Another thing I wish to make clear is that, no, Harry's scar does not burn when he is close to Voldemort. That simply does not work with the story I wish to tell.**

**AN3: **And I wish to address a few things from a review I got. First, Cedric returning to Hogwarts was not an option, as it would tip the more knowledgeable people off that Voldemort had changed – after all, insane!Voldemort would have had him killed like in the original works. And second, Harry doesn't need to act shocked and emotional, the Imperius will do that for him, as you will see in this chapter.

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**Chapter 1: The Night After**

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Harry slammed flat into the ground as he landed. His breath seemed knocked out of him and he kept himself pressed to the ground as if unwilling to accept what had just happened. He clutched the Cup and Cedric's fake body to himself like a lifeline while a torrent of sound exploded around him.

"Harry! _Harry_!"

Hands roughly turned him over and he found himself looking into Dumbledore's eyes. That was the moment the Imperius took over, and he grabbed Dumbledore's wrist.

"She's back," Harry whispered, frantic. "She's back. Voldemort."

"What's going on? What's happened?" Fudge's face appeared, hovering above Harry's head. "My God – Diggory!" he whispered. "Dumbledore – he's dead!"

Those words were echoed all over. Fudge and Dumbledore started trying to pry the transfigured body away from him and Harry started repeating Imperius-supplied comments on how Cedric had wanted him to bring his body back.

After a few more moments of chaos, Moody took Harry away towards the castle. Isolated, they walked through the abandoned corridors to his rooms, while he asked what happened and Harry answered in pieces of sentences. Two corridors in, the Imperius told Harry to look around for other people and then gave him his next words.

"Everything worked out perfectly, Barty."

Moody – Barty – gasped and turned towards Harry, who smiled.

"What? Did you think a child could get away from me alive? No, Dumbledore does not have a clue what is coming for him. However, we have a problem. You took me away from Dumbledore when I'd clearly – to Dumbledore – gone through a traumatizing event. In fact, I'd even told him I was back to make sure he'd look outside. It's best if you go now. I'll just spin a story about how you started cursing and left. I'll meet you tomorrow. Oh, and leave behind the eye, I can think of a few uses for it."

'Moody' nodded and handed over the eye, then stamped in the other direction.

_He won't escape,_ Voldemort's voice said in Harry's mind, separate from the Imperius curse. _I'll kill him for a supposed failure when I meet him. If you're wondering, that was Bartemeus Crouch Junior. A Death Eater that supposedly died in Azkaban, but was truly rescued by his father, who you've probably met. I'd point you towards the real Moody, but I only know what Barty told me, so Dumbledore will probably find him just as quickly._

In the meanwhile, the Imperius had sent Harry back outside, where a frightened Dumbledore visibly relaxed on seeing him.

"Harry?" he asked, concern in his voice. "Where did Alastor go?"

"I-I don't know," Harry stammered, as if he were still in shock. Snape, who had joined Dumbledore with McGonagall, took a potion from his pockets and forced it down Harry's throat before he had a chance to protest. Distantly, Harry heard Voldemort mentally mutter something about a waste of a Pepper-Up Potion, though he found himself welcoming the extra energy even though the evening hadn't been quite as draining as the Imperius made it appear to be.

"Where did Alastor go?" Dumbledore asked again.

"I don't know," Harry said. "He was taking me along to his office, I think, asking me questions about what had happened, and then he suddenly started cursing, pulled his eye out and ran away." He held the eye up as if to prove what he'd just said.

"He must have realized his mistake then," Dumbledore said. "You see, Harry, that cannot have been the real Alastor Moody, as he'd never take you away from me after what you've undoubtedly gone through. I suspect he is also the one who put your name in the Goblet, Harry. But let's get you to the Hospital Wing first. Minerva, please go to Hagrid's hut, where you will find a large black dog sitting in the pumpkin patch. Take the dog with you to my office. I will be there. Then go to the Minister and try to placate him until I have time to speak to him. Severus, go to Alastor's rooms and see if you can find him. I suspect the imposter has used Polyjuice, so he must have been kept nearby."

Both went on their way while Dumbledore led Harry to his office and almost pushed him into a chair. Dumbledore sighed.

"We'll wait for Sirius, but I'm afraid you'll have to tell us everything that's happened tonight, Harry. If she has truly returned, we have not a moment to waste."

_If only you knew what I was planning_, Voldemort commented.

_Don't you have Death Eaters to meet?_ the part of Harry that was still independent thought.

_Oh! I could hear your reply. Good. I was afraid we'd have to practice that. Yes, I do, but I didn't become a Dark Lady by being unable to multitask._

In a remote part of his mind, Harry noticed his still throbbing leg from the acromantula in the maze, but the Imperius kept the pain distant.

"Professor," Harry was urged to ask hesitantly, "where are Mr. and Mrs. Diggory?"

"They are with Professor Sprout," Dumbledore said, his voice wavering slightly. "She was head of Cedric's House, and knew him best."

A few seconds later, the door opened and Padfoot bounded in, followed by Professor McGonagall.

"Thank you, Minerva," Dumbledore said. "You can go to the Minister now. I'll see you in… Less than an hour, I hope. We'll see."

She nodded and left. As soon as the door closed, Sirius transformed and embraced Harry tight.

"Harry, are you alright? I knew it – I knew something like this – what happened?"

Fawkes flew down from his perch, landing across Harry and peering at him with one of his black eyes, producing a musical tone. Somehow, that single tone conveyed the knowledge that Harry was going to lie his way through it all, but that it was for a good cause, so Fawkes would go along with it. Even with the Imperius taking the lead, Harry felt grateful for that as his mouth started spinning a tale that was honestly quite impressive. After a while, he reached the point where Wormtail cut his arm.

"Bastard!" Sirius exclaimed. Dumbledore stood up just as quickly and asked Harry to stretch out his arm, to which he obliged.

"She said my blood would make her stronger than if she'd uses someone else's," Harry repeated the voice. "She said the protection my – my mother left in me – she'd have it too. And she was right – she could touch me without hurting herself. She touched my face."

For an instant, a glimpse of triumph flashed over Dumbledore's eyes before he turned serious again and sat down. Voldemort, apparently, had been paying close attention.

_Thought he'd figure that out. Might just come in useful later on._

Dumbledore urged him to go on. "Very well. Voldemort has overcome that particular barrier. Harry, continue, please."

And so he did, telling about the Death Eaters arriving – something which was actually happening right now – and a duel which had never happened, culminating in the effect Voldemort and he had produced with their stunners.

It quickly became clear Dumbledore had known of the effect as well, and in greater detail – not a surprise to Harry; if there was someone as knowledgeable as Voldemort, if not more knowledgeable, it would be Dumbledore. He explained the effect, which he called _priori incantatem_ and guessed that one of the wands would show their past spells. Voldemort then, again through the Imperius, spun a tale about the last people she'd supposedly killed, and Harry distantly felt his emotions wavering when she came to his parents – quite possibly the last people she'd _actually_ killed. Fawkes moved to the floor and cried on Harry's leg, both healing the wound from the maze and softening the pain inside.

The Imperius forced Harry to continue, claiming the ghosts of the last murders had obstructed Voldemort while Harry had escaped thanks to the Cup. He doubted he'd have had the idea to try to use it again, but Dumbledore seemed to buy the story.

When Harry had finished, Dumbledore led him back towards the hospital wing, followed by Padfoot. Just after they left the office, Voldemort's voice entered Harry's mind again.

_I've been thinking about this connection some more_, she said. _I think I should be able to talk to you like this at all times, but you might have trouble replying once we lift the Imperius, as the curse gives me a way into your thoughts. Once it's gone, we'll see if you can still manage, and if not I can teach you over the course of the summer._

_Can you really see everything I see?_ Harry asked. He wasn't sure how he felt about that.

_That's the Imperius curse at work,_ Voldemort said. _I don't think I'll be able to once it's lifted. It's perhaps something we can learn how to do, however. I'll also teach you how to shut off the connection._

_Should the curse be broken now?_

_Let's wait a little bit longer. I want to hear Dumbledore say no one is to bother you about what happened first. After, you can just use that as excuse to not talk about it._

_What if he doesn't say that?_

Voldemort chuckled. _I don't think you need to worry about that. He cares about you._

That was the moment they entered the hospital wing, where Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Ron and Hermione were already waiting. They crowded around Harry the moment he entered, but Dumbledore kept them at a distance and told them not to bother Harry about what had happened. He asked them to remain quiet for Harry and told Madam Pomfrey that Sirius was to stay (though he didn't name him of course), then told Harry to lie down and get some rest.

_Time to end the Imperius,_ Voldemort told Harry. _You won't get questioned anymore, and if you do, you tell them to ask Dumbledore._

Harry was led to a bed by Madam Pomfrey, but stumbled in surprise when the Imperius ended.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm tired," Harry mumbled. He hoped no one would think too much of it. In truth, he still had quite a bit of energy, in particular with that Pepper-Up potion from Snape, but he couldn't let that show. Luckily, Pomfrey supplied him with a Dreamless Sleep potion as soon as he'd changed, so he had no trouble falling asleep.

* * *

Voldemort had – for the moment – retreated to Riddle Manor and was sipping an expensive wine. By now, she'd sent most Death Eaters away, after torturing a few to keep up the appearances (and to let out her disgust at the actions they took while completely sane). Only Wormtail, currently asleep a few rooms over, still remained. Prior to her resurrection, she had promised him a reward, but she hadn't acted on that yet. Though she hadn't paid too much attention to him and his friends from school, he had told her about them. She suspected that if Harry indeed knew of Sirius Black's innocence, it would mean a lot to him if that could be proven. If nothing else, Wormtail could be used for that.

The door creaked, and a masked Death Eater stepped in. Despite the disguise, Voldemort knew immediately who she was looking at.

"Severus." She smiled at the man. "I have been waiting for you."

He dropped to his knees, taking the appearance of a perfect, repentant minion who was expecting a few Crucios. Instead, she chuckled.

"Stand, Severus. And take off that mask."

Reluctantly, he did both.

"My Lady—" he started, to be silenced when she held up her hand.

"Tell me, Severus, what do you think of the events of this evening?"

"I don't know what you mean, my Lady?"

She smiled. "I assume Dumbledore will have told you what has happened. What is the most interesting part of the story you heard? And no, I am not looking for you to flatter me, so you can leave out my resurrection itself."

"I admit I noticed something most peculiar, my Lady. The story Dumbledore had received from Potter, one he believed to be fully accurate, says you called us as soon as you had been resurrected, and Potter saw the other Death Eaters appear and saw you talk to them. However, my own Mark only started burning several minutes _after_ Potter had returned."

Voldemort nodded. "Very good. And what do you make of it?"

"I would think you would have given him false memories," Severus said, "but I do not see how he had then managed to return to Hogwarts, unless you meant for him to do so, of course. And… I suppose that would be part of the plan if you were to give him false memories."

"You were always one of the smartest in my ranks," Voldemort said. "You are close… but no, not quite. I did indeed intend to let him go back to Hogwarts. Harry Potter, however, has retained all memories of the events that took place tonight."

"Then… I am afraid I do not understand the discrepancy between what I heard and the burning of my Mark, my Lady."

She could, of course, tell him. But watching Severus put the pieces together himself was far more enjoyable. "Oh, I think you can very well figure out what happened." She gave him another sly smile.

Severus remained silent for almost half a minute. "I know when my Mark burned," he eventually said. "So the discrepancy would be part of Potter's story, while he did not have false memories implanted. A compulsion would simply be bothersome compared to false memories, and could have broken, so therefore he must have lied of his own accord."

He regarded her for several seconds, continuing when she kept her face even.

"Except, all his manners and actions were in accordance to what he said had happened – and he's not good enough of an actor to pull that off by himself, certainly not to Dumbledore. Perhaps the Imperius could replicate such behavior, as it is nigh undetectable, but it was the talk of the staff room when Potter could shake it off in class…"

He gasped. "Unless he _willingly_ submitted to your Imperius?"

"There we go," Voldemort said. "I told you, you could figure it out by yourself."

"But… why would he ever do that? He cannot have broken under torture. Not only was he not gone for long enough for that to happen, but he doesn't seem to have been submitted to the Cruciatus at all."

Voldemort twirled her wine. "During my first rise, I was terribly unaware of what love and compassion could spur a person to do. Thankfully, that has since been remedied, and it is now quite obvious to me what it has made you do, Severus. Since the day I went after Lily and her family, you have been Dumbledore's man."

Fear started showing on the occlumens' face, making Voldemort chuckle again.

"If I had intended to torture or kill you for that, Severus, I would have done so already. Do you know why I am so free with information tonight?"

"I don't," he said, much more of his usual sneer now coming through his voice.

"Because, by the time you leave this room, you will serve me willingly, without being threatened in any way. Just like Harry Potter."

"I find that hard to believe," Severus spat.

"Harder than that Harry Potter would let himself be put under my Imperius curse to tell an elaborate lie?" When Severus remained silent, she continued. "I am afraid I simply do not have the time to go into every minor detail – I would really like to get some sleep tonight – but I expect that covering the main points will be sufficient for you.

"You see, Severus, over the course of my life I made a number of choices that, over time, cost me my sanity. The Lady Voldemort that you have known was… quite insane. Getting hit by a rebounding Killing Curse, however, went a long way towards restoring that sanity. After getting through my agony over what I'd done in the decade leading up to that point, I started thinking about just _why_ I could gather so much power so easily. Do you know the conclusion I reached?"

Severus shook his head.

"Magical Britain is rotten. And it's not going to fix itself. Almost all power is held by a small number of aristocratic families of purebloods, most of which are extremely prejudiced – something I made good use of when my insanity had made me believe I deserved to rule this country. One of the few powerful people who stand against this is, of course, Albus Dumbledore. However, he has a soft heart which, together with the biased system of justice we use, has allowed many people to walk free after I disappeared, even though their guilt during the war was obvious.

"I consider myself to owe this country a debt because of the destruction I have caused, so I decided that I would attempt to execute the justice that the government is unwilling or unable to perform. Eventually, I decided that the easiest way to accomplish that was to use the leverage I already had – most of these supremacists have pledged themselves to me. Wouldn't it be deliciously ironic if they would, one after the other, get themselves killed while wearing Death Eater gear? Of course, a few might also fall to the hand of the insane Dark Lady they pledged themselves to, and yet others just so happen to have tragic accidents… I think you get the idea.

"There is one difficulty, however. I can of course control myself, and I may occasionally be able to give orders that no one is to come any permanent harm, but in the end most of the Death Eaters are willing to resort to permanently injuring or even lethal curses. It would be… extremely beneficial if there were some people on hand during raids that could ensure nothing would get too out of hand."

"What proof do you have for your words, my..." He coughed. "What proof do you have?"

Voldemort chuckled. "You know what, just call me by my birth name. Tess Riddle. I think I will start using that name with those who know my true intentions anyway. As for proof, I have convinced Harry Potter, which I would hope to at least count for something, but that's not all proof I have. Come."

She stood and led Severus through the manor to a guest room and knocked on the door, entering after the signal had been given.

Severus gasped when he saw Cedric Diggory. "He's alive? But what about the body Potter took back with him?"

"A transfiguration," Voldemort said. "I had not intended for Mr. Diggory to come along to the resurrection ritual, but I'm done with the killing of loose ends, so I instead decided to recruit him for the same job I've offered you. Though I will admit I did not give Mr. Diggory a choice, as that might make people wonder about me; after all, before I regained my sanity I would have simply had him killed. Feel free to ask him about the conversation I had with him and Harry."

What followed was basically a summary of said conversation, until Cedric mentioned the Unbreakable Vow.

"Unbreakable Vow?" Severus interrupted, turning towards Voldemort. "You actually swore an Unbreakable Vow for this… Mr. Diggory, what did the Vow say exactly?"

Cedric repeated the wording.

"I see one major flaw," Severus said. "Nowhere does… Riddle promise not to harm you. She proposed this to you?"

Cedric nodded, looking scared now as Voldemort stepped forward.

"That is an oversight on my part," she said. "If you are willing, Severus, we can swear another Unbreakable Vow that my intentions toward Mr. Diggory are honest, with you as the binder. Would that do?"

Severus nodded, and the for the second time this evening Voldemort clasped hands with Cedric Diggory.

"Do you, Tess Riddle, guarantee that your intentions towards me, Cedric Diggory, are honest and in accordance with what you have told me this evening?"

"I guarantee it."

The ribbon appeared and, after a few seconds, lodged itself into their hands, forcing a wave of magic through their bodies.

"Are you satisfied, Severus?" Voldemort asked, turning back to him.

"Considering this last Vow did not kill you, I do not see a way you could be deceiving me and Mr. Diggory. Shall I go?"

"Not yet. I have one last thing to discuss with you." Severus followed as she left Diggory's room again. "I do not think Dumbledore would be agreeable to my aims, as he sees every death, no matter who it is, as wrong and immoral, a view that I do not share and that I am certain you do not share either. Because of this, I wish to ask of you that you keep what we have discussed this evening a secret, just like Harry has. Are you willing to agree to that?"

"What if I refuse?"

Voldemort considered the question for a moment. "Honestly, I had not thought about that. I think I would obliviate you of our discussion, though your skill in occlumency may make that hard. It was, after all, strong enough to even fool my legillimency."

"You did not even consider the option I would refuse?"

"A leader needs a certain amount of arrogance," Voldemort said. "Even when sane. But no, I did not consider it, as I like to believe I know your motivations and beliefs well enough. Are you going to prove me wrong, Severus?"

"No," he said, "I guess I am not. I do have one condition though. I will not let myself be put under the Imperius for any amount of time."

"I did not mean to do that," Voldemort said. "Your occlumency should be able to take care of that. Now, let's sit down and discuss what you _are_ going to tell Dumbledore. After all, the stories need to match up."

* * *

**AN:** The Minister's denial of Voldemort's return will appear off-screen, and will be addressed next chapter.


	3. Ch 2: Occlumency

**AN1: I had actually completely forgotten that Cedric would not recognize Voldemort on sight. That has now been fixed. As have a few typos that I became aware of in the prologue and first chapter.**

**AN2:** I had intended to put two scenes in this chapter (like last chapter), but with the first scene by itself reaching 3k words I figured I might as well make it a separate chapter. I expect the summer holidays to take four or five chapters total (including this one), after that the timeline will speed up.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Occlumency**

* * *

The last week at Hogwarts went by quickly, as Harry mostly kept to himself, giving the impression he was grieving or otherwise unwilling to talk about what had happened on the day of the last task. Voldemort had tried to talk to him the next day, but he didn't manage to reply now that the curse was lifted, so she told him she'd contact him in summer about lessons.

At the end of year feast, Dumbledore asked the Great Hall to remember Cedric Diggory and gave a speech in which he announced Voldemort's return and how Harry had (supposedly) stood against her. One thing stood out to Harry in particular, namely that Dumbledore mentioned the Ministry didn't want to tell them this. As they sat on the train to London, Hermione theorized the Ministry denied Voldemort had come back, as they also hadn't seen anything in the_ Prophet_, just a quick piece that Harry had won the Tournament that didn't even mention Cedric.

On the first morning back at Privet Drive, Voldemort talked in Harry's mind again.

_You seem to be under wards that don't allow me to track you_, she said. _As you can't reply to me I'll have to come and meet you to teach you about this link. If you go outside for a walk, I can meet up with you when you get away from the wards._

Over the last week Harry had started to doubt Voldemort's words that evening in the graveyard, wondering if he was being fooled even though she swore that Unbreakable Vow to Cedric and Dumbledore also seemed to have realized what it meant that she used his blood for her resurrection. Despite that, he could not dismiss the evidence that she hadn't tried to abuse the Imperius and had let Cedric live, so he decided that he'd take the risk, even if only because he was curious about her. If she had wanted to kill him, he reasoned, she'd have done so in the graveyard rather than wait until now. He still took his wand with him though.

After a few minutes of walking, Voldemort spoke again. _I can track you now,_ she said. _I'll be there soon._

Indeed, not two minutes later a _crack_ sounded behind Harry and he quickly turned around… to find Tess Riddle. Not Voldemort, the bald, red-eyed woman he'd met in the graveyard, but a girl looking maybe seventeen years of age, closely resembling the ghost from the diary. Tall, with long black hair reaching down almost to her waist, with slate grey eyes and a slender figure. Harry couldn't deny she looked pretty.

She chuckled at his surprise as she stepped up next to him. "I used some human transfiguration to make myself less conspicuous among the muggles. I do hope my appearance will one day approach something like this again, though."

"How would that happen?" Harry asked, curious.

Riddle… Voldemort… he wasn't sure anymore, looked him over for a bit. "I'm not sure if I should tell you that."

"Why not?" Harry asked.

She shook her head. "You're what, almost fifteen, right? Ah, I might as well tell you. My appearance as you saw it last week was a consequence of repeating that soul ritual several times. The only way for me to return to a more normal human appearance is to… become intimate with men. Or _a_ man."

Harry squeezed his eyes tight for several seconds, trying to dispel the idea. "I did not need to know that."

Riddle chuckled. "Then don't ask me about it. But let's find a place to sit. You're familiar with the neighborhood, so show me the way."

Harry was pretty sure there was a playground with some benches a little down the road, so he set off in that direction, Riddle walking next to him.

"So what will you teach me?" Harry asked after several seconds of silence.

"I think it would be easiest to start with teaching you some occlumency," Riddle said. "Occlumency is normally used to protect your mind against attacks from the outside, but it also helps you understand your mind better. That will make it easier to become aware of the link, which you will have to be to talk to me through it. If you become good enough at occlumency, you can also block the link with it if you want."

"Attacks against my mind?" Harry asked. "You mean like, mind reading?"

Riddle smiled. "It's a little more complicated than what you're thinking, but there are a few similarities."

"So there are people who can read my mind?" Harry asked, growing somewhat worried. "Do you… do you know who?"

"I could, for example. In fact, I'm quite well known for almost always being able to discover lies. Dumbledore is also very good at it. Severus can do it too, but he's better at occlumency."

"Snape?" Harry asked. "Wait… is he a Death Eater?" That wouldn't surprise him in the least.

In the meanwhile, they'd arrived at the playground and sat down next to one another on a bench facing the currently deserted monkey bars.

"He was," Riddle answered. "But at some point during the last war, he turned to Dumbledore. He's the only one to have ever gotten away with spying on me. The only reason I figured it out now is because I regained my sanity."

"Does he know what you want to do?"

Riddle nodded. "I explained him the same evening I was resurrected. Just like Cedric, he's going to make sure the Death Eaters don't do any lasting damage. And before you ask, he understood the need to not tell Dumbledore."

Harry decided to not ask more about Snape for now. "So you're going to teach me… what did you call it? Occlumency?"

"Yes," Riddle said. "But before we get into that, I want to warn you. At some point, I'm going to help you along by using legilimency on you. That's the thing I mentioned that is kind of like mind reading, except it's really more about finding memories. It can be a draining process for you, in particular because I will be looking for your worst memories, as that's the way you'll learn the fastest. And… there is also a small chance that you somehow manage to lash back while learning how to defend yourself. If that happens, you'll find yourself in my mind. At that point, the only advice I can give you is to try to back out as soon as possible, because you do _not_ want to see my memories."

"You're going to read my mind?" Harry asked, wary. He didn't particularly like that idea.

"Not yet," Riddle said. "I'm going to give you some exercises first. If you don't know how to strengthen your mind, then me assaulting it isn't going to help you out. For now, close your eyes, and follow my instructions."

Harry closed his eyes and leaned back.

"Try to empty your mind, to not think about anything. Don't think about the sun on your skin, the bench pressing against your legs, whether or not I'm being honest in my intentions to you—"

Harry shot upright and looked at Riddle, who started laughing.

"That's really easy to guess, you know," she said, patting him on his leg. "Just relax, remove your thoughts from your mind, just be. Empty."

Harry sat back again, closing his eyes against the July sun. He wasn't supposed to think about that. Riddle had exactly guessed where his thoughts had been going – he wasn't supposed to think about that either. She hadn't been reading his mind, right? No, she wouldn't need to do that to figure it out. _Stop thinking!_ Easier said than done… Sit back and relax…

He could hear birds chirping… It was starting to draw his attention. He wasn't supposed to think about that either. Just be, an empty mind. His hands were lying on the bench next to him, he could feel the wood. No. He put his hands on his stomach, linking the fingers. Now he noticed how his fingers were intertangled. He grunted in frustration and balled his hands.

Riddle put her hand on his knee. "It takes a while," she said. "It doesn't need to be perfect, certainly not the first time around. Focusing solely on what your senses are telling you is already an improvement over thinking about other things. I'll give you a few more minutes and then we'll move on to another exercise."

Harry again tried to clear his mind, this time fretting over the input from his various senses a little less than last time. He wasn't quite sure how much time had passed when Riddle spoke again.

"Alright, that's it for now." Harry opened his eyes. "You still need to remember what you did for the next exercise, however. I will be using legilimency probes on you. The way I'm going to use them is the lightest form of legilimency, only meant to read emotions and whatever you're currently thinking about. Normally, these legilimency attacks are also hard to detect because they're so light, but I'll make them quite a bit more blunt. Your goal is to empty your mind as much as you can and try to find the legilimency probe, and then block it out, as if you were putting a shield in its way. What is very important is that we maintain eye contact, as that is required for almost all kinds of legilimency. Are you ready?"

Harry looked her into her grey eyes and nodded, trying once again to empty his mind. As he did so, he felt as if the rest of the world became slightly more distant, with the focus being on her eyes, and he tried to notice anything odd. After a minute had passed, he started wondering whether he was doing something wrong when Riddle spoke up.

"You're not doing anything wrong, it just takes time. Keep focusing on something odd intruding in your thoughts."

She'd been successfully reading his mind, apparently. He found himself wondering whether that meant she could also read his deeper thoughts.

"You'd notice," she said. "A strong legilimency attack, if you don't have occlumency prepared, forces you inwards, and the legilimens directs what memories you are thinking of. They may be able to uncover all your secrets, but you _will_ know what they have uncovered. Now empty your mind again. I have faith you'll detect me if we keep trying."

He went back to staring into her eyes, trying to avoid thoughts about anything else. For several minutes, he tried to block out anything and everything when finally he noticed something very faint at the edge of his consciousness, almost as if it were trying to tickle his thoughts. He imagined blocking it off… and felt a very faint mental recoil as it went straight through. Annoyed at the whatever-it-was, he again tried to block it. It broke through. Block. Broken. Block. Broken. Block. Broken. Bl—where was it?

Riddle broke eye contact and gave him a smile. "Very good. You tried to block the probe five times before you lost track of it. Next time, do not let your annoyance get the better of you. Controlled emotions improve your occlumency, and your occlumency can then in turn help you keep your emotions under control."

"How is this blocking going to help with the link exactly?" Harry asked.

"It will not directly help you," Riddle said, "but it is the most fundamental aspect of occlumency, and as I explained earlier, occlumency helps order your mind, which in turn makes it easier to find and control the link. On top of that, occlumency is a generally useful skill to know. Shall we get back to practice?"

Harry nodded. They continued for the better part of an hour, until he almost immediately noticed the probes when they entered his mind, and he even managed to block them on occasion, though they normally broke through on second or third try.

"That's enough training for today," Riddle said. "The next time we practice, I'll make the probes less intrusive, so that it's harder for you to detect them. From now on, you also have to empty your mind for half an hour every evening before going to bed. That also has the nice side effect that it makes you sleep better. Do you want to meet up again tomorrow?" She stood up, Harry following her.

"You have time for that?" he asked, surprised.

"There's not much to do," Riddle said as they started walking back to Privet Drive 4. "The Ministry isn't preparing for me because Fudge refuses to admit I'm back, so I'm just going to see how long I can draw this out from my side. The more time I have to plan, the safer any confrontation will be. I already have a few ideas of what I could do, like losing some Death Eaters rescuing old Inner Circle members from Azkaban or sending a group to steal the prophecy about us, which is stored in the Ministry. There's no need to because you can probably get it out of Dumbledore at some point, but he'll expect me to go after it, and if we play it properly it'll cost a few Death Eaters their lives. And this quiet also gives me more time to train Cedric."

"Why not just leave those Death Eaters in Azkaban?" Harry asked. "They can't do anything from there, right?"

"Two reasons," Riddle said. "First, it's expected of me. If I would ignore Azkaban, people would start wondering why, in particular because I can exert influence over the Dementors. And second, Bella is in there, and she can help our cause."

"Bella? You mean Bellatrix Lestrange?" Harry asked. "Didn't she torture Frank and Alice Longbottom into insanity?"

Riddle nodded. "She did. I know what you're thinking, Harry, but Bellatrix… Bellatrix is a special case. Don't worry about her, but also don't trust her until I tell you otherwise."

"What do you mean with that?" Harry asked, confused.

"I'll… explain when the time comes." Then, Riddle smiled. "Depending on how far we get this summer I might tell you earlier."

Harry decided to drop the matter for the moment. "What did you say about the Ministry by the way?" he asked instead.

"You don't know?" Riddle asked. "The Minister refuses to believe Dumbledore – and by extension, you – about me having returned, and is doing everything he can to deny it. And… I've also heard rumors that he's planning on discrediting Dumbledore and you, and I'm afraid I can't do anything against that without looking suspect. I suppose it's best if you know now."

Riddle suddenly stopped walking, making Harry turn. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"This is the border of the wards surrounding your house," she said. "I'm not going to walk through them without checking them, considering they were probably set up with the goal to keep me out. Let's see…" She drew her wand and slowly moved it forward until it touched an invisible barrier that now had reddish brown ripples spreading over it. "Blood wards… Created because of your mother's protection, I suppose. And extremely illegal. This first one is… Anti-Dark Mark. Yes, that makes sense. Luckily, I don't have one." She took a step forward, and her wand hit another barrier which rippled in almost the same color. "Hostile intent… Well, I don't have any, so that should be fine too." She took another step. "And here we have… Ah yes, anti-Imperius, of course. Wouldn't want the Death Eaters to just Imperius someone to take the alert ward down and allow them to work on the problematic wards after. But that doesn't hold me either… Ah, here we go. Wizard alert ward. Any wizard or witch not keyed in activates the ward." She took her wand between two fingers and carefully stuck it forward, just barely hitting the next ward without sticking her fingers through the wizard ward. "And there is the alarm ward that goes off if another ward gets triggered. Good thing I have a long wand, or I wouldn't be able to confirm it."

"What does that all mean?" Harry asked.

"It means I'll be able to get into your house without being noticed or forced away, on the condition I do not intend to harm you in any way. And I'll still have to mess with the alarm ward to do it, which means I'd be standing here for several minutes first. It's a good set of wards. Keeps out everyone trying to harm you, extra defense for Death Eaters, protected against clever Imperius usage, and even if someone doesn't belong to those categories Dumbledore will normally still get notified if a wizard gets close to you. And there are probably more wards inside the alarm ward, these are just the detection wards. For example, I didn't come across the ward that made it impossible for me to track you, and I also happen to know of a blood ward that can be remotely activated to stun all people within its bounds. I would be very surprised if Dumbledore didn't put that one in, so he could activate it if the wizard alert ward notified him someone got past the other wards while he wasn't expecting anyone to do so.

"There are wards that can do things like that?" Harry asked. His knowledge of wards was very limited – the subject was covered in NEWT level charms and, from what he'd heard, occasionally in Ancient Runes or Arithmancy, but nothing else.

"Most wards aren't that powerful," Riddle said, "but blood wards can do that, yes. There is a reason they're illegal. Of course, if it's Dumbledore putting wards around the home of the Boy-Who-Lived, some laws can be ignored. But enough about that. We see each other tomorrow?"

Harry nodded. "Sure."

"Then I'll be going now. Oh, and one last thing, Harry. There's not a lot of use for names while we're just talking to each other, but if it does come up, please call me Tess. Voldemort was insane, I'm not."

"Uh, okay," Harry said, nodding again.

She gave him a pat on the shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow." With that, she Apparated away.

She was definitely very different from what he'd expected, Harry decided as he walked up the path to Privet Drive 4 and immediately made for his bedroom. Then again, he'd expected a homicidal maniac intent on killing him. He barely had any experience on wards, so she could be lying to him, but if that had indeed been a hostile intent ward (and he did know such wards existed), she clearly possessed none. She was a good teacher too, making him feel comfortable even though he knew so much less than she did. And if he didn't understand something, she just explained it again without judging him for it. He absentmindedly ruffled Hedwig's feathers, lost in thought.

"Might as well go write some letters, hm?" he eventually said. "Tell Ron and Hermione I got home fine, Dursleys are still same as ever."

Hedwig hooted appreciatively. Any excuse to spread her wings was a good one.


	4. Ch 3: Hello?

**AN: I've finished the outlining for the summer, and I got a bit more storyline than expected. It's looking like Chapter 7 or 8 will be the last chapter before Fifth Year starts. Again, the timeline will speed up after that.**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Hello?**

* * *

The summer seemed to be doing its very best to turn Surrey into a desert. Normally, Harry would want to stay inside to avoid the worst of it, but this summer he had two reasons not to do so. First, it was so hot that he felt like he was melting when inside too, and second, going outside meant he could meet Tess, who could cast a cooling charm on him. Now if only she'd deign to show up…

They'd met every day for the last week, and Harry had started making significant progress in his occlumency, though he couldn't access the link between them yet, and Tess hadn't used the _Legilimens_ spell yet either.

A _crack_ sounded behind the bench – they'd made it their official meeting place – and he turned his head to find the girl, who was wearing a good-looking night blue dress. The item in question was tight around her chest and waist reaching down loosely to her knees while also leaving her arms bare, and it worked well with both her black hair and her pale skin. All in all, it was enough to make Harry blush slightly. "Hey Tess," he said, getting over his surprise. "That dress looks good on you."

"Thanks," Tess said with a smile. "I figured yesterday I'd go shopping for some new clothes now that I spend so much time around muggles. Glad you like it." She smirked. "Cooling charm?"

"You don't want to know how much I've been looking forward to that."

"I think I have an idea," she said, casting the charm. Harry turned his thoughts inwards and, after a few seconds, found the legilimency probe and battered it out of his mind, causing Tess to smirk again.

"You're getting better," she said as she sat down next to him. "Severus told me he's managed to convince the Order of the Phoenix that no one's coming after you soon, by the way, so no more guards." On the second day back, Tess had noticed an Order guard under an invisibility cloak, who was subsequently confounded to make sure he wouldn't accidentally give her away. The same process had then been repeated every day since.

"But let's start the lesson," Tess continued. "I was thinking we should start working on getting you to find the link in your mind later today. First, lets work a little more on your shields. I don't think I still need to explain what you have to do."

Harry closed his eyes and leaned backwards, emptying his thoughts. It was starting to come easier to him, though he couldn't _quite_ manage to complete the process yet. He remained in the position for several minutes, then opened his eyes again, looking at Tess. He nodded and they locked their eyes as she started sending out probes. A new tactic she'd started using yesterday was occasionally sending more than one probe in quick succession, and sometimes even at different strengths.

Still, with Harry's mind being mostly empty, it wasn't too hard to detect the probes and block them within seconds after entering his mind – and often even faster. They kept at it for several minutes before Tess broke it off.

"We're going to make a change now," she said. "When you find a probe, it's easy for you to eject it, and you understand how to create the shields for it. Now, take your consciousness as a whole, and try to create a shield around the entire package, rather than reacting to my probes when you notice them."

Harry did his best to build a shield as Tess described. Almost as soon as he felt like something was in place, a probe appeared and – like it was nothing – shattered the entire thing. Reigning in his annoyance at the work that had just come undone, he chased out the probe, then went back to building the shield.

And so they went back and forth. A few times Tess paused for a moment to instruct him somehow, but for the most part he was trying to build a shield around his mind and Tess was breaking through it. They'd been at it for about an hour when a shout interrupted them.

"Hey, Potter! You got a girlfriend there?" Several people laughed, as if that was beyond the impossible.

Harry looked in the direction of the voices to find Dudley and his 'friends'. Dudley didn't seem to be happy to be in the situation, knowing full well what Harry was, but the others clearly thought they had the perfect opportunity to pick on him.

_Who are they?_ Tess asked through the link.

"The fat one's my cousin, the others are his friends," Harry replied quietly. He'd told her about them a few days back.

Followed by Harry, Tess stood up, an unsettling smile on her face.

"Good afternoon," she said in a voice so cheerful Harry didn't believe for a second it was real. Then again, _they_ didn't know who she was. "You must be Harry's cousin and his friends, right? He told me about you."

Funnily enough, Dudley seemed to be the only one smart enough to realize how big of a mistake they had made in coming here.

"What're you doing together with that Potter boy?" one of them asked. Harry honestly hadn't bothered learning to tell them apart.

"Holding an intelligent conversation, of course. Though I see why that might surprise you, considering you chose him—" she pointed at Dudley "—to lead your gang."

Another of the future criminals snickered. "An intelligent conversation? With Potter? You'd be better off trying to set one up with a monkey. Why don't you come with us girl? You're wasted with that boy. A criminal in training, everyone knows it. What's your name by the way?"

The smile on Tess's face did not waver in the slightest, remaining as unsettling. Harry started to feel subtle magic pulsing out from her.

"I could tell you my name," she said. "Or give you a riddle and leave you to figure it out by yourselves." Harry was unable to hold in a snicker at that. Tess strode forward, thoroughly undeterred by the five large teenagers. "You'd probably fail though. And even if you did know my name…" Her smile grew even more unpleasant, and her magic stirred up feelings of unease amongst them. "Well," she concluded as she took the chin of the closest boy in her hand, "I doubt you'd appreciate it." Her eyes flashed red for a fraction of a moment, and Harry noticed a silent curse shooting out of her wand – when had she drawn that? – making the boy wet his pants.

"Oooh," Tess continued, "scared of a girl, are we?" She looked over the other boys. "You going to cry to your mommies now?" She grinned before turning serious again. "Harry here has more bravery than the five of you combined, you know."

One of the other boys, trying to be tough, scoffed and said, "I'm not scared of you." Harry didn't think he sounded convincing, and apparently Tess didn't either. She flashed her eyes again and stared him down. She forced him to keep eye contact even as he started to tremble, and Harry realized she was performing legilimency on him. The moment extended longer and longer… and the boy turned and ran.

"No," Tess concluded. "_Clearly_ not scared of me. Anyone else got something smart to say?" Her eyes flashed red a third time, and the other minions started running away as well, leaving only a stammering Dudley behind.

"Y-y-you're not allowed to use that!" he said. "You'll be expelled!"

"_I'm_ not allowed to use magic over the summer," Harry said, smirking. "Tess is of age, that rule doesn't apply to her."

To Harry's surprise, Tess stepped up next to him and put her arm across his waist. "Isn't it time for you to go, too?" she asked Dudley innocently.

He ran.

"Well," Tess said once he was out of view, "that was a fun interruption, but we really should get back to occlumency." She gently turned Harry around and pulled her arm away as they walked back to their spot.

"Thanks," Harry said. "I've wanted to do that for years, but I never could."

"At your service." Tess gave him a mock bow before settling back on the bench. "You know, I think your occlumency might be good enough to allow you to find the link. So let's give that a try, shall we?"

Harry nodded and leaned backwards. "What do I do?"

"Clear your mind like always, and I'll try to invade through the link, rather than normal legilimency. I think it should feel somewhat similar to it, and with some practice you should be able to trace them back."

"So using the link is like legilimency?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Tess said. "Insofar as I've been able to study it in my own mind, it's kind of like a backdoor straight between our minds that seems to bypass normal occlumency shields and doesn't require eye contact to perform legilimency. When I'm talking to you through it, I'm basically putting the words straight into your mind, just like you can do with legilimency."

"That's possible?" Harry asked. "So a legilimens can just put an idea in your mind as if it's your own?"

Tess smiled. "Good question, but no, that's not easy to do. After all, you could easily recognize when I was talking to you, right? If you want to give someone an idea and make them think it's their own, it's far easier to confound or obliviate them. Now, clear your mind."

Harry did so.

"As I said, I will be invading your mind through the link now, so put up the shield we practiced this morning, keep on watch for probes, and then try and follow them back. If it helps, keep your eyes closed, as we don't need eye contact."

Harry pulled up the shield and kept on the lookout for legilimency probes. Almost a minute passed before he realized the probe was somehow _inside_ the shield, and he started batting it away. After a few attempts, it seemed to simply disappear, rather than retreat like normal.

"Good," Tess said. "Keep at it."

This time, it only cost him a few seconds to find the probe, though again he couldn't follow it's retreat. The back-and-forth extended for a quarter of an hour before he managed to pinpoint where it disappeared – though "where" wasn't entirely accurate. But it was the closest approximation words could give.

From that moment on, he tried to chase the probes back, until he stumbled across something which he couldn't really describe either, unless as the 'origin point' of the probes that he'd occasionally found during their practice last week. Tess had told him that was the edge of her consciousness, in a way.

She smiled. _I think you've got it_.

"Damnit," Harry said. "I wasn't expecting that and now I couldn't feel where it came from."

_Don't worry,_ Tess said, smirking. _I am a generous master_.

This time, Harry indeed managed to trace the words back in the same direction he'd been chasing the probes.

"I got it!" he said.

Tess smiled. "Good. Now try and find the link without me sending anything through it. You know where to look now. Oh, and keep your shield up, it makes it easier to orientate yourself in your mind."

Harry turned into his own mind yet again, seeking out the connection to Tess's consciousness he'd found, much like he could find it if they were having eye contact, only… well, without the eye contact. It took him perhaps another ten minutes to locate it for the first time, after which Tess told him to keep trying, and another twenty or so minutes later he could immediately locate it when he started looking for it.

"Last step," Tess said. "Actually conveying thoughts. This shouldn't be too hard. First, just try to get through the edge of my consciousness. Don't worry, I'm carefully keeping my mind clear of anything unpleasant, and my shields are completely down."

Harry followed the link to the edge of Tess's consciousness, which formed something of a barrier, though nothing of the sturdiness he'd come to associate with occlumency. He tried to get through it, and after maybe a minute or two, he suddenly crossed the surface and found himself in a mind that was wondering how long it would take him to get there. As soon as he was in, it turned into appreciation and he was promptly kicked out.

"Well done," she said. "Apologies for pushing you out, it becomes a habit. Basically, what you just did was send a legilimency probe at me. Talking to me in my mind is the exact same thing, except you push specific words through my consciousness rather than getting in yourself. Try it."

Harry took the path through his mind and the link, got to the edge of Tess's consciousness, and pushed through the first thing he could think of. _Hello?_

A reply was pushed through immediately. _Well done. From now on, no talking out loud anymore for the rest of the day._ Somehow, she mentally conveyed the equivalent of a smirk.

"So—" Harry started, then immediately got silenced by a spell from Tess. He tried again, focusing on mentally transmitting the words. _So, does that mean today is the last lesson?_

He suddenly realized he'd really come to enjoy talking to Tess over the last week. It was the first time he'd ever had someone to talk to during the summer, someone who knew the world he was part of and _didn't_ hate him for it. It was definitely something he could get used to. Of course, now that he could talk to her through the link, she didn't _need_ to be here if he wanted to talk, but there was still a difference. It also didn't help that the letters his friends sent him didn't contain much information, as Dumbledore was apparently worried of said information falling into the wrong hands.

_I don't see why it should be_, Tess replied. _I also promised to teach you how to block the link if you wanted, remember? That's just learning occlumency, and believe me, you currently don't stand a _chance_ of blocking the link if I really want to get through. You still have plenty to learn._

_Thanks,_ Harry replied. _By the way, you said this link exists because a piece of your soul ended up inside of me, right?_

_Yes._

_So could you also like, talk to the diary, and the other things you put a piece in?_

_No,_ Tess said. _They're not actually sentient until they have a sentience to leech off on, like what I assume happened with the diary, considering you said it possessed a girl. And before you get worried, if the soulpiece inside you could possess you, it'd have done so already. I never finished the ritual for that particular piece, so it doesn't have the power the others do, and it's simply no match for your soul. Trying to take over would be like a first-year trying to Imperio a dragon. Now that I'm thinking about the interactions between your soul and my soulpiece though… Are you a Parselmouth?_

Harry gaped at her.

_I'll take that as a yes_, Tess said._ You probably gained that ability from my soulpiece, though by now I think it'll be integrated into your soul. Which reminds me, actually, I haven't heard about your encounter with my diary yet. Willing to tell me?_

_Uh, sure,_ Harry said. _It does feel kind of weird to just sit here silently next to one another while talking like this though._

_You need to practice. So, the diary?_

_Well,_ Harry said, _this all happened in second year. On Halloween, the caretaker's cat got petrified. Right in front of Myrtle's bathroom, actually. And there was a message on the wall that the Chamber had been opened. Then, a few weeks nothing happened, and then a muggleborn from my year got petrified, as well as Nearly-Headless Nick. At that point, everyone actually believed I was behind the attacks, as my Parselmouth ability had just become known and I had been the one to discover the petrification both times._

He snorted – or tried to, as the silencing charm was still active. _Around that time we actually brewed Polyjuice potion because we believed Draco Malfoy was the Heir of Slytherin and we hoped that he'd confess to us if we were impersonating his friends._

_Wait,_ Tess said. _Who is 'we'?_

_Me, Ron and Hermione._

_Three _second-years_ brewed a Polyjuice potion correctly?_

_Mostly Hermione, but we helped out._

Tess laughed. _It's always the muggleborns. I look forward to meeting her someday._

_It gets funnier,_ Harry said.

_Oh?_

_We were brewing it in Myrtle's bathroom._

Tess snorted. _Well, continue the story._

_Okay, so uhm, around that point everyone believed I was the Heir of Slytherin. Anyway, a few weeks later I actually found your diary, as Ginny Weasley – she was the one the diary was possessing – had realized it was doing things to her and had flushed it down the toilet. Myrtle's toilet again, I should add. I even wrote in it a bit, and it showed me how you'd… _He looked at Tess. _Why did you frame Hagrid, actually? Just to save your own skin?_

_Mostly,_ Tess admitted. _But at the same time… The guy had an _acromantula_ in the school. He'd probably have gotten expelled either way. Also, I'd already made the diary by the time I accused him, so I was acting quite selfishly already at the time. And I'm still a Slytherin. So, what happened next?_

_Ginny stole the diary back,_ Harry said. _She'd told it that she feared she was responsible for the Chamber, and was afraid it'd tell me. So anyway, there were no attacks for a while, of course, as the diary had no one to possess for some time. But a while after Ginny got it back, Hermione got petrified. _

For a few seconds, he lost himself thinking about those few weeks without her.. _The one good thing that came out of that was that no one believed me to the be Heir anymore, as I would never attack one of my best friends. Then one day me and Ron went to visit Hermione, and I noticed she had a piece of paper stuck between her fingers, which turned out to be about basilisks. Apparently, she'd figured out what the monster was just moments before she got petrified. And a good thing too, because the only reason she didn't die was because she'd immediately started using a mirror to check corners. She even figured out it got around the school by using pipes._

_But you still didn't know where the Chamber opened, did you?_ Tess asked.

_No, _Harry said. _It went pretty fast from that point on though. We went to the staff chamber to tell the professors about it, when we heard them talking about another attack. That was the point where the diary had become strong enough to assume a form at the cost of Ginny's life. We'd figured out a few days earlier that Myrtle was the one that had died last time around, but hadn't had a chance to ask her about it yet, so we went there to ask her about it, and then we found out the entrance was right there and immediately went down._

"Gryffindors," Tess snorted.

_We also had Lockhart with us, the DADA teacher and complete fraud. Only thing he was good at was memory charms, which he used to steal accomplishments. So we didn't really have a choice._

_Wait, if he was so good at memory charms, why didn't he just obliviate you?_

_We had him at wand-point._

_So he got disarmed by two second-years?_

_Yeah._

_Okay. Glad we cleared that up. DADA teacher quality hasn't really gone up over the years it appears._

_It's said there's a curse on it._

_Oh. Fuck. You're right. I should do something about that._

"That's your doing?" Harry shouted. It appeared the silencing spell had worn off.

Tess had the decency to look guilty. _I was insane, remember? And undoing it now would make Dumbledore suspicious, which could be problematic. Shall we get back to the Chamber?_

_Uh, yeah, were was I? Oh, Lockhart. We'd just gone down when he tried to grab Ron's wand, which by the way hadn't been working properly all year, and he tried to obliviate us, but accidentally obliviated himself. It also caused a cave-in that got me shut off from Ron and Lockhart, forcing me to go on alone. So I entered the main chamber, where I found… Uh, well, diary-you, I guess, and Ginny, who was unconscious._

_Let me get this straight,_ Tess interjected. _At this point you're a second-year, alone in a chamber with an insane Parselmouth that can summon a basilisk, and the only way out has been blocked. How in _Merlin's name_ did you survive?_

_Fawkes,_ Harry said. _He arrived while I was talking to diary-you, carrying the Sorting Hat. When diary-you called the basilisk, Fawkes clawed it's eyes out, and then when I put the Sorting Hat on in desperation it gave me the Sword of Gryffindor._

Tess gasped. "No way! I've spent a decade looking for that!"

_What for? _Harry asked.

She looked a little guilty again. _I made a habit of using artifacts from Hogwarts founders for my soulpieces, but I never found one belonging to Gryffindor. Continue._

_Well, I continued running from the basilisk until I no longer could, then I somehow got a lucky strike in with the Sword, through the mouth into its brain._

_And how exactly did you not get pierced by at least one tooth?_ Tess asked.

_I did,_ Harry said. _But Fawkes is a phoenix, remember._

_Of course. Phoenix tears._

_So yeah, diary-you didn't think of that either, which gave me the time needed to grab the diary, and then I stabbed it with the basilisk tooth I'd pulled out of my arm. Apparently, that was enough to kill it._

_Someone should write a book about your adventures,_ Tess noted.

_I'd rather not. I'm famous enough already._

_Sorry._

They sat in silence – both actual and mental –, thoughts going over the events they'd just discussed. At least, that was the case for Harry. He didn't know what Tess was thinking about.

"Well," Tess eventually said, "I think that's quite enough for one day. I still got some dueling lessons with Cedric planned, so I'll see you tomorrow." She smiled. "Just tell me when you're ready for me to come."

Harry returned with a smile of his own. "Thanks for coming every day. It feels so lonely every year over the summer, but now I finally have someone to talk to." He hesitated for a moment, and Tess immediately picked up on it, grabbing him in a hug.

"No problem Harry. You're a delightful student, and it would be a little awkward if we wouldn't become friends with such a bond."

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**AN: The chapter was a little short at first, so I decided to move Harry's retelling of the CoS events to this chapter (which actually made this the longest chapter instead). Currently hoping that doesn't mess up my outline later on…**


	5. Ch 4: Memories

**AN: This story passed 100 followers! And I know I'm supposed to be all "thank you" and "I love you" and everything now, but the truth is that – like many writers – I'm a sadist first and foremost, so I'm mostly just cackling with glee that I get to spam 100+ people with emails by pressing a single button.**

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**Chapter 4: Memories**

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Harry had decided to go for a walk, even though Tess had told him she wasn't ready yet as she first had to placate some Death Eaters that, _yes_, she was working on getting the werewolves, the giants, and such on their side (which she really wasn't doing, apart from the werewolves who believed in blood superiority, like Fenrir Greyback). As Harry rounded a corner, he came across Dudley's gang, and couldn't help but smirk as they immediately turned around and ran in the other direction. Truthfully, he was a bit surprised their memory went back long enough to remember their encounter with the Probably-No-Longer-Dark Lady – four days really was quite impressive for them.

Harry sometimes found it hard to think of Tess as the Lady Voldemort that had ravaged the country for so long. The, well, the _girl_, as he thought of her, that had been teaching him occlumency and generally talking to him this summer was just so different, not only compared to what he'd heard about her – obviously –, but even from the woman he'd met in the graveyard. The difference in appearance between then and now when he met her every day certainly played a part in that, but her attitude was also different. In the graveyard, she'd felt more distant, as if she were just commencing business. But from the first lesson on, she'd been friendlier to him, had been regarding him as an equal, for the most part. Sure, she was still a teacher and he was a student, but their interactions weren't _just_ the lessons. In fact, he probably enjoyed those other moments the most. Finally, after three summers on his own, he had someone he could tell about Hogwarts, ask what was going on in the Wizarding World, and so on.

His feet had led him to their bench, so he decided to just sit down and wait. _Any idea yet when you can be here?_ he asked over the link.

_Just a few more minutes,_ Tess replied. _Doing the transfigurations right now. And I have to change into something that won't stand out among muggles._

As he waited, Harry decided he might as well start clearing his mind already, and he almost missed the _crack_ of Tess's Apparation when she arrived.

"Good morning," she said as she sat down next to him.

"Good morning," Harry echoed. "Any special plans for today, or just training my shields again?"

"Actually, I wanted to start using the _Legilimens_ spell today. As I told you before the first lesson, that means I'll be actively invading your memories, rather than just your thoughts and maybe a little bit beyond that, and I will be diving towards the worst of them. It means I _will_ be seeing things that you'd rather have no one ever knows about, but I promise you I will never share them with anyone else. It's also by far the fastest way to learn, as the strength of the attacks urges your existing defenses to improve themselves. If you feel like you've had enough at any point, we can stop for the day, or if it gets too bad, we can even stop completely."

Harry nodded. A week and a half ago, he probably wouldn't have agreed to it, but the daily meetings had built up some measure of trust for him, and even if there were indeed plenty of things he'd rather not share with anyone, he certainly trusted Tess that she would keep anything she learned for herself if she promised to do so.

"Put your shields up," Tess said, "even though I will most likely shatter them immediately. Your one and only goal is to push me out of your mind. And… oh, wait. Normally, it would be okay if you would use minor hexes to force me out, but that wouldn't be possible considering your wand has the Trace on it, of course. I'm afraid that will mean you're at a small disadvantage. If it takes you too long to push me out, I'll retreat by myself and give you some time to get yourself together. Are you ready?"

Harry nodded.

"_Legilimens_."

A powerful force crashed through Harry's shields like a battering ram through glass. Suddenly, he was twelve again, and whispers and accusing glares followed him wherever he went, believing he was the Heir of Slytherin. He was seven, and locked in the cupboard without food for an entire day because he got higher marks than Dudley. He was thirteen, and fell unconscious in the train, a dementor closing in on him. He was… no! With the greatest difficulty, he forced out the foreign presence in his mind and took back control to find himself panting.

Tess gave him a few seconds to gather himself before speaking. "That wasn't bad, for a first time. Even though it took a lot out of you, you forced me out of your mind after only a few seconds. Take a moment to calm down, put your shields up again, and we can go for the next attempt. That is, if you're still okay with it."

Harry nodded, leaning against the bench. Breathe. In. Out. In. Out. He started working on his shields. "What is the importance of shields in this case anyway?" he asked. "You crashed through them like they didn't exist."

"That's because my _Legilimens_ spell is very strong," Tess said. "As I told you earlier, I'm one of the most accomplished legilimens in Britain. For this spell, that experience is extremely important. An inexperienced user of the spell would accomplish barely anything more than what I can do simply by looking you straight in the eye and sending probes.

"When your mind is assaulted by legilimency in this way, it will attempt to improve its defenses with the tools it has available. One of the tools available to you is the shield, so your shield will improve, even if now it gets shattered immediately. Are your shields up?"

Harry nodded, again making eye contact.

"_Legilimens._"

The wave crashed through him again. He sat under the Sorting Hat, and it told him he would do well in Slytherin. Ron abandoned him after his name came out of the Goblet of Fire. Professor Lupin transformed into a werewolf before his eyes, causing Wormtail to escape. Dudley and his friends almost caught up to him… Finally, he managed to push Tess out of his mind again. Like last time, he was panting.

Tess put an arm around his shoulders. "It's okay," she whispered. "That's all in the past. And the best thing for you is that I no longer have to pretend, at least not for you. You won't come across a horcrux of mine again, you won't be forced into a tournament, and I'll do my very best to keep you away from any Death Eaters whenever possible. You won't have to go through things like that again."

Harry gave her a weak smile. "Thanks. What is a horcrux though?"

"That's what the soulpieces I've split off are officially called," Tess said. "I meant to tell you the name earlier but somehow I never got around to it. You want a bit of a break?"

Harry nodded. "Maybe that's a good idea. You know, that memory about Wormtail escaping… Is there any chance we can somehow arrange for him to be caught so that Sirius can be declared innocent?"

"I've been thinking about that," Tess said. "I know how important Sirius is to you. I want to keep Wormtail around a little longer though, most likely until sometime in winter or spring, depending on how other things unfold. There is… something that I'm planning to do where I am going to require a Death Eater's presence, but it might tip off the Death Eater that I'm working against them now. If I use Wormtail for that, then have him get caught shortly after, we can kill two birds with one stone, so to speak."

"So what are you planning on?"

Tess gave him a cryptic smile. "I'll tell you, but not yet."

"Just like what you said about Bellatrix Lestrange?"

Tess nodded. "Yeah, something similar."

"And is there anything else going on right now? I'm still not hearing anything through letters."

"The Ministry has started to denounce you and Dumbledore, as I told you a while ago might happen. Dumbledore has been removed as Supreme Mugwump and Chief Warlock, and the _Daily Prophet_ is helping along by writing things about your supposed mental instability. I'm afraid I cannot really do anything about it, but hopefully not too many people believe them."

"And what if they do?" Harry asked. He wasn't sure if he could survive another year where everyone looked at him with fear, distrust or hate.

"If they do, you'll still have the Order behind you, and I promise I'll help you out as much as I can through the bond. And if it really gets too bad, I'll move up my schedule and come out in the open so that no one can deny that I'm back anymore."

"But wouldn't that interfere with your plans? Why would you do that?"

"Harry, you've gone through fourteen years of shit because of me. I have something to make up to you."

He stared deep into those grey eyes and was certain he saw honesty in there. After maybe two or three seconds, Tess smirked. "Are you aware you're using legilimency on me?"

Harry drew in a sharp breath. "Sorry. No, I didn't realize."

Tess patted his arm. "It's fine, a lot of wizards and witches do it unconsciously on occasion. Apparently there are even some muggles that can do it to a degree."

Harry cleared his mind and brought up his shields again. "How long does it take for improvement to take place?" he asked.

"Just a few times should be a good start. If you don't notice much of a difference, then that's once again due to the strength of my spell. If you want we can do some wandless legilimency at the end of the day, your shield should have noticeably improved by then. Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"_Legilimens._"

A hundred dementors surrounded him, Sirius and Hermione. The Dursleys went on the run to avoid the letters. Dudley and his friends caught up to Harry and beat him. One of Dudley's friends tripped Harry over at school and everyone laughed. Aunt Marge's bulldog chased him up a tree. _No more_. Dudley got thirty-some presents on one of his birthdays. Harry got none on his own birthday. _No. No! No more!_ He got locked in the cupboard for a week for freakish things. _Out!_ He—the presence disappeared from his mind, and he found himself panting once again, but this time he was frantic, scared.

Tess moved over to him and grabbed him in a hug.

"It's okay," she muttered softly. "You panicked, it's okay. It happens. No need to be ashamed."

She comforted him in silence for a few seconds before pulling back.

"How are you?" she asked quietly.

"I-I…" He tried to calm himself down. "Normally, I try to think of those years as little as possible."

Tess nodded, as if understanding. He doubted anyone could.

"But it's changed, hasn't it?" Tess asked. "Your life. Now that you're at Hogwarts. You have friends, a godfather, even if he's officially still a fugitive, and it turns out there's actually no one out to kill you."

He gave a weak smile and nod. "Yeah, it's better now."

"You turn fifteen in about two weeks, right?" He nodded again. "We're not continuing working with the spell today," she continued, "but I do want to show you a few things. Are you up for it?"

"What kind of things?" Harry asked, a little wary.

"A few of my memories. I think seeing them might help you. If nothing else, it might boost your confidence in yourself."

Harry nodded, locking his eyes with hers. "Show me."

_A young girl, maybe six years old, with black hair and grey eyes scurried through the halls of what Harry somehow knew was an orphanage. An older boy stuck out his leg, and the girl stumbled to the ground. Angry, she picked herself up, and suddenly the boy was flung backwards in a bout of accidental magic, slumping against the wall._

"_Tess Riddle!" a stern voice called out, and a woman marched in. "No pushing other children! You'll help Miss Baker with cleaning the floors tomorrow!"_

"_But Mrs Cole—"_

"_No backtalking. You know you're not allowed to pick fights. Not a word."_

_Tess withered under the gaze and sulked away._

_The memory changed._

_An eight-year-old Tess was cornered by two boys several years older than her. Their friend was ill, and they believed she was responsible – weird things had been happening around her before, and she'd had an argument with their friend a few days earlier. She tried to dodge away from the two, but reached a dead end in a hallway._

_One of the boys tried to grab her arm… and recoiled as if he received a shock. Tess glared at the other boy, and _willed_ his arm to break, and it did so. She ran away._

_The memory changed again._

_A ten-year-old Tess watched from a distance as a new girl, a year younger than her, talked with some other boys and girls from the orphanage. After a few minutes, she walked towards the girl and held out her hand._

"_Tess Riddle."_

"_Amanda Landon."_

"_Listen, Amanda. If you do what I tell you to do, you'll have it easy here. If you don't…"_

_Tess looked at the girl intensely, and she seemed to wither under the gaze before nodding._

"_Of course," she said in a small voice._

"_Good," Tess said, walking away again._

"One last memory," the Tess sitting next to Harry said. "This is from when I was in my fourth year at Hogwarts, almost your age. Moments like this were almost a weekly occurrence."

_Tess, looking just a little younger than how Harry knew her, moved silently through the library and into the Restricted Section, where she browsed a number of books on the Dark Arts before picking one out and discreetly carrying it back to the open areas._

_She started reading, and the scene changed to two boys arriving. Tess closed the book and waved over it with her wand, changing the cover._

"_What is it?" she quietly asked the boys._

"_We got some information on Greengrass," one of them said, handing over a piece of parchment._

_Tess smiled as she looked it over. "Well done, Malfoy, Lestrange. Anything else?"_

_The boys shook their head._

"_Well, off you go then."_

Harry found himself confused. "Why are you showing me this?"

"We started off in much the same situation," Tess said. "Alone, different from the people around us, hated for it, and without knowing what we were. I've known it too, Harry. The hate, the resentment, the bullying. I don't think I've ever had it as bad as you, because of who I am, but I know what you've gone through living here.

"I also showed you some of how I reacted to it. I closed myself off, started using my magic to control others. By the time I went to Hogwarts, I didn't believe in friends. I believed in acquaintances, people who did what I wanted because it was, for one reason or another, in their best interest to do so. It took me decades of insanity followed by a sudden return to sanity to realize how much was wrong with me."

She scooted closer to Harry and took his head in her hands. He looked into her slate grey eyes, which he'd seen so much these last two weeks, now just inches away from his own.

"You, on the other hand," she continued, "you never started bullying. You took the resentment, and you carried on. Even now, when you talk about the Dursleys, you don't like them, but that's it. When I talk to you, I can hear you wouldn't want them harmed for what they did to you. And when you went to Hogwarts, you got friends. Everyone looked up to you because you're the Boy-Who-Lived, but you never wanted any of that. You looked for those people who wanted to know _you_, you never wanted to ride some wave of fame because everyone said you were special.

"And you are special, Harry, but not because that Killing Curse rebounded. You are special, because you went through ten years of resentment, and you came out of it as a _normal human being_, one without dreams of grandeur, who would rather just live his life in peace and quiet with the people he cares about. I want you to remember that, Harry. Despite what you went through, it didn't break you. Be proud of that."

Harry wanted to say something along the lines of "I don't want to be special", but he couldn't, not when that was what she was praising him for. Instead, he hugged her tight.

"Thank you," he said softly.

"I wish I had been more like you when I was a teenager," Tess said, with an honesty that surprised him. "So much wrong would have been avoided if I'd never gone down the path of insanity with those damned horcruxes."

Harry rubbed her back. "I understand," he said. "But now you're going to make up for it the best you can. I'll admit I doubted you at first, but you have a good heart, Tess. It just wasn't available before."

She pulled out of the hug to look him in his eyes again with a slight chuckle. "See, that's what I mean. You've known me for a week and a half, after having heard for years about how terrible I am, and you are already willing to believe the best of me."

She leaned forward, resting her forehead against his. "Don't ever change, Harry," she whispered. "This world needs more people like you to clean up the mess people like me leave behind."

"But you're going to clean up your own mess," Harry said quietly. "It was the first thing on your mind after your resurrection."

Tess smiled. "Don't ever change."

As she pulled away from him, her lips brushed against his for a moment, and Harry found himself wondering if she'd done it on purpose or not.

* * *

**AN: Wow. That last scene kinda got away from me. I blame Tess. Always the safe option to blame the Dark Lady.**

**AN: Also, remember that Tess was in Hogwarts during Harry's first year, that's how she knows so much of what he was like when he got there.**


	6. Ch 5: New Paths

**AN: I should probably mention at this point, I originally estimated this story would be some 50k words long, but I'm pretty sure by now it's going to be longer than that. New estimate is at least 100k. Also means I won't be done by the end of April. Sorry Recursion-readers.**

**AN: I have finished, edited and uploaded this chapter from my phone as I have no laptop access for the weekend, so I'm hoping the quality didn't suffer.**

* * *

**Chapter 5: New Paths**

* * *

Tess Riddle was confused. She wasn't used to being confused. The plan – this plan, at least – had been simple. Find a wizard to get close with and use him to regain a normal, human appearance. Perhaps continue the relationship afterwards if she wanted to. That was all. When she'd found Harry Potter's wand was so similar to her own, and then subsequently discovered the partial horcrux stuck inside of him allowing them to communicate mentally, the choice of wizard became obvious.

So she found herself a reason to meet him over the summer – it would have been a good idea anyway, as it would be a waste to not use the connection – and started slowly seducing him. Transfiguration to look normal, as well as a few years younger. Generous smiles. A bit of physical contact when possible. Clothes that brought out her figure. A hug the moment she noticed he was considering it.

Then she'd started the big assaults on his mind, and in his memories, she'd seen the perfect opening to move further. She'd shown him some of her own memories, with the intention of complimenting him on how well he'd done despite his youth… And somewhere during that, she'd found herself wishing – out loud, even – that she'd been more like him. At least she'd remembered the very light kiss she'd been planning to give him – so light it could have been accidental.

She'd thought, after more than a decade to think through her plans for after her resurrection, after more than a decade of being sane, that she wasn't going to encounter any major surprises, at least not concerning herself. But in all those years, she'd never even paused to consider her youth, the years _before_ she made that first horcrux and all went to hell, her sanity first and foremost. What should have been a way to draw Harry closer had instead made her realize that the horcrux rituals couldn't get _all_ the blame. Her youth had already turned her into a distant, calculating person. Now, there was nothing wrong with being calculating – it was, after all, the basis of all cunning and most ambition – but it could also lead to disaster. Would someone who hadn't been as distant and calculating even have _considered_ letting a basilisk loose, whatever the circumstances?

And beyond that, comparing herself with Harry forced her to admit that she couldn't simply point to outside influences and claim she was free of blame. Hadn't she herself said that Harry had it worse than her? And yet, she couldn't imagine any circumstances where he would make a horcrux, even if he _would_ accidentally kill someone in the way she had accidentally killed Myrtle. The comparison showed that she'd had a choice and, unlike Harry, had chosen mistrust and manipulation.

But now that she understood that, she could regret it. It was quite possible she could fight this 'war' as she had intended to no matter what, but seeing Harry's faith in others, even in her, made her want a piece of it. And that meant she'd have to get close to him, _for_ him.

* * *

Harry was surprised when someone draped their arms over him from behind and looked up to find Tess smiling at him.

"Oh, hey Tess." He smiled back sheepishly. "I didn't hear you arrive."

"I Apparated a little further away. What a summer this is, right?" She cast a cooling charm at him as she stepped around the bench and sat down next to him, a little closer than normally.

"I'm really happy to have someone who casts a cooling charm over me every day," Harry said, smiling. "Not sure if I'd make it otherwise."

She put her arm around his shoulders in a playful hug. "Careful, Mr Potter, soon you'll be so dependent on me you have no choice but to accept the Dark Mark when I demand it."

Harry laughed, then trailed off. "You wouldn't do that, would you?"

She looked at him, completely serious. "Oh, yes I will. Everything I told you has been one big ploy to get you to join me and my Death Eaters."

Harry stared at her for several seconds. She _was_ joking, right? Suddenly, she burst out laughing and punched his arm.

"You're cute when you look like that, you know that? And so very naive." She rested her head on his shoulder. "I know I said it a few days ago too, but don't ever change, Harry. I like you far too much the way you are."

Still feeling a little uncertain, Harry wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "At least don't scare me like that."

"I'll scare you whenever I damn well feel like it, Harry."

He wasn't sure what to say to that, so instead he said nothing and just enjoyed her company. After a while – too soon – Tess raised her head.

"We should start the lesson," she said.

He hummed in disinterest.

"Unless you'd rather waste the time we have on snuggling up to one another?" she teased, making him blush as he realized that _had_ been what they'd been doing.

He pulled his arm back and tried to clear his mind. Why had it felt so good when she'd put her head on his shoulder? He knew she was a girl, of course – he'd come to realize that about all the girls around him this last year. But this… this wasn't _just_ a girl. This was the person who'd taken the name Lady Voldemort and became the most feared person on the British Isles. Also, he shouldn't be thinking right now. He should clear his mind.

Almost immediately, his thoughts went back to Tess. She really was trying to make up for her past, he was certain of that now. She was also decades older than him. Also immortal, though. And wasn't he too, with her using his blood for her resurrection? Or would he still age? He'd have to ask her that sometime. Not now though, now he should clear his mind.

"Having trouble?" Tess asked.

"Yeah, a little bit," Harry admitted. "The thoughts just won't stop."

"That happens sometimes," Tess said. She gave no indication that she even suspected what Harry had been thinking about, and yet he couldn't shake off the feeling she knew _exactly_. "Focus on a single thing, something other than those thoughts, like what you had for dinner yesterday, and then build your shield while just keeping that thought there. It's something you'll want to learn in time anyway as you want to be able to think while having your shields up, the only reason you learn to clear your mind first is because it's much _easier_ to build and keep your shields when your mind is empty."

Harry nodded. That sounded logical. What was yesterday's dinner again? Ah, yes, spaghetti. Spaghetti. Now build up the shields. Keep thinking of spaghetti. He didn't want Tess to know what he'd been thinking either way, whether or not she suspected it. No, _spaghetti_. Spaghetti, spaghetti, spaghetti.

He locked eyes with Tess. Her eyes were quite beautiful, actually. _Spaghetti_.

"Go for it," he mumbled.

"_Legilimens_."

The shield broke, and all thoughts of spaghetti were thrown to the wayside. He accidentally found himself in a room with a Cerberus. He stood in front of a Hungarian Horntail, and had to steal it's egg. Just a few days ago, he was scratching his itch while thinking of T—_NO! NO!_

With a power he didn't knew he possessed he forced her out of his mind – and tumbled straight into hers.

She laughed as she killed a family of muggles one by one, making the others watch as she did it. She tortured a captured auror while calmly sipping a drink. He tried to back out, then suddenly found himself overwhelmed by the next memory. A green light flashed, and suddenly pure _anguish_ permeated everything, consuming, destroying. For several seconds, Harry was completely and utterly lost, until a faint push returned some awareness to him, and he gave way, letting himself be pushed out of Tess's mind.

Immediately, he wrapped his arms around her, though he couldn't say if it was for her comfort or his own. Tess returned the hug, staying silent while Harry noticed his eyes were wet.

"I'm sorry you had to experience that," Tess eventually said quietly.

"Is that… was that the moment when…" Harry choked, unable to give words to the events of that evening right now.

"Yes. That was the moment I regained my sanity," Tess said diplomatically.

"How can you live with that pain?" Harry asked softly.

"At first, I had no choice. I spent months like that, too revolted by my own actions to even think about regaining a body, gathering my horcruxes, and ending my own life. By the time I'd gotten over that, I was in Albania, too far away to do it quickly, and I started thinking about how to make up for what I'd done. And that's what eventually led me to do what I'm doing now."

Harry blinked away the wetness, uncertain what to say.

"At least," Tess said with a slight chuckle, "you no longer need to doubt my intentions now."

He squeezed her tight. "You already had me convinced."

"Not everyone trusts as easily as you do."

"I'm not sure if that's an insult or a compliment."

"That's a compliment and don't let anyone ever tell you anything else." She released him. "I _am_ curious though, what was the memory that caused you to have such a strong reaction?"

Harry blushed. "I'd rather not say."

Tess chuckled. "You didn't nearly have such a reaction when I saw memories of the Chamber, or dementors, or when you got bullied. You're making me very curious, you know," she teased.

Harry squirmed as he blushed even more. "Please."

She laughed, then suddenly leaned forward to peck him on the nose. "You're so much fun to tease."

"You said yesterday I'm so special for getting through my childhood as a normal person," Harry said, turning serious, "but going through that and still being able to laugh isn't easy either."

Tess smiled. "If you go through so much, you learn to either laugh at life, or become depressed."

Harry nodded. "I think I understand."

She grimaced. "And you really shouldn't, at your age." She put an arm over his shoulders and brushed through his hair. "Again, I'm sorry for how much pain I've brought you in your life, Harry."

He looked into her eyes, those beautiful grey eyes, and a strange feeling filled his stomach. Tentatively, he brought up a hand and trailed it through her long, black hair. "Thank you," he whispered. "For… for coming back to fix things. For not ignoring it."

She leaned forward, Harry unconsciously doing the same, and suddenly their lips met. He instinctively brought his arms up around her and pulled her closer, holding the kiss for a few seconds before releasing.

As he realized what they'd just done, he blushed again, earning him another bright smile.

"You're one of a kind, Harry," Tess said, caressing his cheek. "You know, I'm used to doing things by myself, and I'd expected to do this by myself too, but now I'm hoping I'll have you with me. And not because you're a piece on a chessboard, but because I care about you." She chuckled. "And because I have more faith in your moral compass than my own."

Harry pulled her close. "You'll have me." Surprising himself, he leaned forward and kissed her again.

"Aren't we supposed to be having a lesson?" Tess asked after they parted.

"I think I've seen enough for today already," Harry muttered. "And don't you?"

"Maybe you're right. So, got anything in mind?" He looked at her confused. "To do," she clarified.

"Not… really," he said after thinking for a few seconds. "I tend to be bored during the summer. Normally I just spend my day walking around the area so I don't have to deal with the Dursleys until I get to go to the Weasleys or something."

Tess hummed in thought. "Maybe we should do something about them."

"Who?" Harry asked, confused. "The Weasleys?"

"No, the Dursleys. Perhaps they'll be more inclined to treat you reasonably after I've had a talk with them."

Harry hesitated.

"Oh come on," Tess said, giving him a pat on his arm. "I'm not going to hurt them. Just explain a few things. Well, unless they ask for it."

Harry murmured his agreement as he stood, leading the way to Privet Drive 4. As they approached, Tess suddenly stopped and pulled out her wand to examine the wards.

"Can you talk me through them?" Harry asked, interested.

"Sure," Tess said. She poked the first one. "This is an Anti-Dark Mark ward. Invented in the war specifically to detect Dark Marks, very annoying. Normal wards can only detect it, but this is a blood ward, meaning it will most likely actually block entry for people with Dark Marks. And being blocked entry by a ward can be… painful." She stepped past it and touched the next ward. "This is a hostile intent ward keyed to you. Sadly, it only works on wizards and witches, or your childhood would've been a lot better. Again, it's a blood ward, so it probably blocks entry."

She stepped to the next ward. "This is an anti-Imperius ward. Normal anti-Imperius wards simply break the curse, but this one might also cause some sort of backlash against the caster, or perhaps send the target to safety. Dumbledore will have put the ward up for if someone, probably me or a Death Eater, would Imperius someone and let them walk through the wards first, as hostile intent wards don't catch someone who does not have hostile intent by themselves.

"Next up—" she stepped forward again "—is the general alert ward. The first three wards should be able to take care of all dangers by themselves, but Dumbledore knows the prophecy and expects me to do anything I can do come after you, so he put this in as an extra protection. Even if everyone should be cleared, he still wants to know if there's a wizard or witch here. If I'd just step through this one, well, normally he'd probably Apparate in to come take a look, but as he knows I got resurrected last month, he's more likely to remotely activate a ward further on the inside. As I mentioned when I first inspected the wards, I know there's a ward that can stun everyone inside."

"So how can you get through?" harry asked, genuinely interested.

"He left in a little backdoor," Tess said. "I don't know if you've ever noticed, but Dumbledore has a very long wand. So he put this ward and the next one just close enough together that he'd be able to touch the inner ward with his wand without having to cross the outer ward. As it happens, I also have a long wand." She took her wand between two fingers, like she'd done two weeks back, and stuck it through the ward until it touched the next one. "This ward that my wand is touching is the alarm ward. The outer four wards are all connected to this ward, and when they are triggered, _this_ ward is the one that notifies Dumbledore. However, alarm wards have the disadvantage that you can overload them. If I pour my magic into this ward for several minutes, it stops working for roughly half an hour." Harry saw ripples appear on the ward as she started doing so.

"Then," Tess continued, "once I've disabled this ward, I can step through the alert ward _without_ notifying Dumbledore. I then have half an hour to find the wardstone that is probably hidden somewhere in the garden or even in the house, and add myself to the people keyed into the alert ward – people who won't trigger the alert. By the time the alarm ward is back up, I'm keyed in and Dumbledore won't hear a thing."

"What would you have done if you wouldn't have been able to use this backdoor?" Harry asked.

"I'd have had to explain to you how to overload the ward," Tess said. "It's a pretty easy thing to do, so it wouldn't have been too much trouble, but this is still easier."

As the minutes passed, the rippling quickened until it suddenly exploded in a burst of light and fell silent. "There we go," Tess said. "And now I can most likely safely enter your house." She stepped forward, want still held out, and soon came across another ward. "Ah, the anti-tracking ward, which makes it impossible for any kind of tracking to find you." She moved to the next one. "And here is the stunning ward I mentioned earlier. Let's see if that's it... Looks like it is. Well, let's go find the wardstone."

She kept her wand out, sending pulses of magic every few seconds. As she approached the door, Harry noticed a resonance in the ground next to it. Tess clearly noticed it too, as she knelt down and, with a single wave of her wand, vanished the earth, baring a simple grey stone with a single rune on it. Without any experience in runes, Harry had no idea what it was called.

"This is the wardstone," Tess said. "All wards are tied to it and can be manipulated from here. There are also a few other wardstones nearby to determine the size of the warded area, but they're not important." She put her wand against the stone and remained in that position for some twenty seconds before a small light flashed for a moment. "And that's that, I'm keyed in, from now on I can just walk into your home like anyone else. Well, assuming I either have a key or an _Alohomora_." She smiled. "Shall we go meet your Uncle and Aunt?"

Harry led the way inside and into the living room. As it was weekend, Vernon was home as well.

"Oh, you're home?" Aunt Petunia demanded. "Good, the toilet needs- who is that?"

Tess gave that same sweet smile that she used on Dudley's gang last week. "I'm Tess, a friend of Harry. Nice to meet you."

"What?!" Vernon exclaimed. "She-she isn't_ your kind_, is she? We don't need any more of _your kind_ here!"

"About that..." Tess said, drawing her wand. "Yes, I am indeed a witch. I am also not underage, which means it is perfectly legal for me to use magic, in particular if I feel Harry or me is... threatened. Which, I should mention, is a very vague term. And the law tends to rule in favour of wizards when there is a conflict with muggles. You know. _Your kind_.

"That actually kind of ties in to why I'm here. You see, I've been taking to Harry a lot this summer, and I've also seen some memories of his."

"Whatever that boy told you, it's a lie," Vernon muttered.

"I assure you, it is not easy to fake memories. Beyond that, I myself am... familiar with the treatment that some of the less tolerant muggles give us. But let's not draw this out too long, shall we? I already feel my intelligence dropping from being in the same room with you. It's very simple. From now on, you will treat Harry like a decent member of the family. You will not give him more chores than you give Dudley, and you will not hold back food from him. I should perhaps also warn you that I can talk to Harry from a distance and that I can get here in under twenty seconds from any place in the country."

"You're insane!" Vernon exclaimed. "That boy-" a Silencing Spell shut him up.

"I was not negotiating," Tess said. "Apart from Harry being able to contact me at any moment, I will also continue to meet him every day for the remainder of the holidays, so I will know if something is amiss. Now, am I clear or do I need to introduce you to Stinging Hexes and Cutting Hexes?"

"Are you threatening us?" Petunia demanded.

"Only if you do not treat your nephew properly. Once again, am I clear?"

Petunia started complaining, then yelped at Tess' silent Stinging Hex. That made Vernon lumber forward angrily until he screamed and brought his hands to his private parts, where Tess had hit him with another well-aimed spell.

"That is a Stinging Hex," she helpfully supplied. "A spell so simple I could cast it an entire day straight and not even feel winded at the end of it. For the last time, you will treat Harry fairly from now on. _Am I clear_?"

Petunia, looking a little pale, nodded. Vernon seemed too angry to give a reply of any kind, though he kept his distance.

"Good," Tess said. "Now, don't let us hold you up any longer. Harry, why don't you show me your room so we can talk without those two looming over us?"

Harry guided her out of the living room and up the stairs to his bedroom.

"Well, this is it, I guess. Uhm, this is actually the first time I show anyone my room without being in a hurry."

She put an arm around his waist and gave him a quick kiss on his temple. "First time for everything. Are you okay with how I handled your relatives?"

"I don't know," Harry said. "I... I guess it's the only way they'd ever listen, but I don't like it."

She turned to face him and put her other arm around him in something of a very loose hug. "We'll make sure you interact with them as little as possible. And I promise I won't do anything to them without getting your permission first. I'll keep you safe and happy, Harry, I promise it."

He pulled her into another kiss to express his thanks.

"So," she asked in her teasing voice, "am I your girlfriend or did I understand that wrong?"

"Uhm..." Harry stuttered. He liked her. He really did. But she was also Voldemort. But she was also looking to make up for what she'd done in the past. "I think so?" he supplied, as she was clearly waiting for an answer.

"Uh-uh, that won't do. Am I your girlfriend, Harry Potter?"

Those beautiful grey eyes. "Yes."

She stepped forward and pulled him into another kiss, more passionate than the previous ones.


	7. Ch 6: The Secret Tongue

**AN: Since the last chapter we've also passed 100 favorites. Sadly, I haven't found a way to use it to appease my sadism yet… (unless you count my writing slowing down, which is actually unrelated) We **_**are**_** approaching 200 follows though, so there's that.**

**Oh, and no points for catching the blatant reference.**

* * *

**Chapter 6: The Secret Tongue**

* * *

Some days, Harry felt like he was living in some sort of bizarre dream. Even with how quickly he'd gotten to know Tess, by talking to her for hours every day, going through one another's memories, and so on, two weeks still felt so _fast_ for a relationship to form. And beyond that, it wasn't just _anyone_. It was the girl (as he preferred to think of her; calling her a woman made him think about how much older she was) that had terrorized Britain for a decade, that had been so frightening that even today most people dared not say the name she had taken upon herself. The person that he had thought just a month ago was out to kill him.

Now he saw her every day, either at the playground on the bench or in his own room, together sitting on his bed like today. She'd lived for decades, had a war to fake, and yet took the time to meet him every day. That was something no one had ever done for him before. Every year, he'd spent the first half of summer in isolation, shielded from the magical world for the sake of recharging the wards – something Tess had told him about yesterday – with nothing but contact through letters and the hateful, or sometimes fearful, glares from his relatives.

Who'd have thought a firm talking-to and a few Stinging Hexes was enough for the Dursleys to allow magical people – or at least one particular witch – to visit him at any time? Even if that had been all, just having contact with someone already made this Harry's best summer ever. As it was… He brushed Tess's hair away and started peppering her neck with kisses. She stretched away to give him an easier time and, after a few seconds, gave a content hum.

"What did I deserve that for?"

"For giving me the best summer of my life. Thanks for everything you're doing for me, Tess."

She turned towards him and gave him a quick kiss on his lips, which filled him with warmth. "You deserve nothing less. You know, I've been wondering these last few days if I shouldn't have abandoned my plans and just sought you out instead, so you wouldn't have had to go through what you went through."

Harry gazed into her eyes – something he did whenever he had the opportunity. "And what about the others who lost people during the war? There's no way people will accept what you've gone through and allow you back into society just on your beautiful grey eyes, no matter how wrong they would be. Even with what you want to do to bring the Death Eaters to justice and everything I'm still worried they'll not just throw you into Azkaban, Tess."

She pulled his head forward and kissed him again in gratitude, while hugging him tight. By their own volition, Harry's arms lifted upwards to try and pull her even closer. For what must've been close to a minute, he enjoyed her body in his arms, her breasts pushing into his chest as their tongues fought for dominance. Finally, she released.

"They can't throw me into Azkaban, Harry. Just like they can't throw Dumbledore into Azkaban. We're too powerful to be caught. But thank you for your concern for me. It's been so very long since I've had someone to care about me, and this is the first time I've ever been able to appreciate it."

Harry trailed his hand over her head and through her raven black hair, enjoying the sight of the beautiful girl in his – _his!_ – arms.

"That reminds me," she said after a few seconds. "I've promised to tell you about Bella sometime this summer. I suppose we might as well do that now." She leaned backwards to the bed, pulling Harry along so they were lying side by side. Rather than starting the story, she snuggled up close to him and gave him a quick kiss.

"So," Harry reminded her after a few seconds, "Bellatrix Lestrange?"

"Yes," Tess said, "Bella. It's a bit of a delicate subject, I suppose, so please let me explain everything." She smiled. "Then again, you were also willing to listen to the entire story back in the graveyard. There are a few things that we'll have to work out together. You, me and her."

Harry looked at her questioningly. "What do you mean?"

"I'll just start from when I met her and explain from there," Tess said, then changed her mind immediately. "Actually, before anything else, let me mention that she has a horcrux as well, and she… didn't react to it's creation well. One horcrux and she was more insane than I've ever been. She _is_ a Black, after all…"

"What do you mean with that?"

"The Blacks aren't exactly known for their mental sanity," Tess said. "And when they get a little push into the wrong direction, they may go completely overboard."

"So you want to, what, kill her and bring her back with that ritual you used, and then get her help in your plans?"

"That's the idea," Tess said. "I already have a few ideas going through my mind for how to go at it. I also intend to have Wormtail perform the ritual again, in particular because I don't feel like cutting off my own hand. Afterwards, we can arrange for him to somehow fall into Order hands – I got some ideas for that already as well – and prove Sirius' innocence.

"But anyway. Bella. I first met her in… the summer of '69, I believe, just after she'd finished Hogwarts. That was like two years before the war started, and I was already feeling out followers. Bella didn't appear very interested though, and normally that would've been the end of it, but something about her piqued my interest, so I decided to meet up with her again. In the meetings I had with her we got to know each other, and…" She trailed off.

"What is it?" Harry asked. He didn't think he'd ever seen Tess this uncertain before. After a second of hesitation, he put his arm around her and gave her a quick kiss.

"I should've told you this earlier," Tess muttered. She sighed. "Oh well, no use dwelling on the past. I just… I'm worried you won't like to hear this, Harry."

He pulled her close and put another kiss on her lips. "You're trying to make up for what you did in the past, Tess. Don't worry."

"It's not something like that," Tess said. She took a deep breath. "We fell in love, Harry, and I'm… worried about how we're going to work things out once I get her out of Azkaban. And yet I also don't want to leave her in there, without her sanity…"

"Oh…" Harry said, slightly taken aback. "Uhm, what are your ideas on how to work it out?" Knowing Tess – and he thought he was starting to know her quite well by now – she wouldn't have brought this up until she had thought about that.

"Well, if you say no, it's no and we'll figure out something else, but I was hoping you and her could meet each other – once she's sane again, of course – and, if you liked each other enough, that we could just share with the three of us."

Harry blushed at the thought. "I… I don't know, really. What will you do if it doesn't work out?"

"I don't know," Tess said. "I really, _really_ want to stay with you, but Bella… The last she knows me I was still with her, even if we kept it secret from everyone, and I don't want to just break her heart like that."

A thought crept into Harry's mind. "Wasn't she married?"

"Her father wanted to link Death Eater families, and I'd already helped her make the horcrux at the time, which had changed her enough that she wanted to become a Death Eater herself. Apparently, Rodolphus had never been very interested in her."

They fell silent for several minutes, overthinking the situation. Eventually, Tess spoke up.

"Will you think about it, Harry?"

"I will," he said, pensive. "I…" He gave a weak chuckle. "I guess I'm probably not alone in liking the idea of having more than one girlfriend, but it's also, well, it's not normal. I-I mean, it's not how things normally work."

"I know," Tess said, tenderly cupping his face in her hand.

Harry really, _really_ didn't want to ask the question, but at the same time he had to know. "If… if it doesn't work out, and you have to choose between me and her, who would you pick?"

"You," Tess said immediately. "I've been with her for a long time, Harry, but I could live without her – I've done so for the last fourteen years. I'm not sure if I could live without you, Harry. I could stop being a psychotic mass-murderer by myself, but I don't think I could ever become a genuinely good person without you to show me how. If I had to choose, Harry, it would be you. It would always be you. I love you."

Harry pulled her against him, feeling his eyes grow moist. "We'll do our best to work it out, Tess. And until then, you have no idea how much it means for me to know I won't lose you. I…" He knew he couldn't say the words unless he _meant_ them. "I love you too, Tess."

She reached for another kiss, and Harry once again pulled her close. They'd figure it out. Together.

* * *

For the first time in his life, Harry was looking forward to his birthday. After all, it was the first time he'd get to celebrate his birthday with anyone. Well, except if you counted his eleventh birthday, but he hadn't known about the visitor until he appeared in that shack. Or met him before that day.

The excitement made him wake early – not that he was ever used to sleeping late – and he found himself almost bouncing around his room before he decided to make breakfast and then seclude himself with his books and do his homework until Tess finally arrived. Before her, however, owls from Ron, Hermione and Sirius showed up with various birthday presents, mostly sweets. He briefly wondered what they'd think if they knew some of them would be eaten by Voldemort. He had thoughts like that quite frequently, in fact. Like when he read a letter where they said they hoped he wasn't too alone and could come soon, and he imagined their reactions if he'd reply the truth: 'well, I got some nice company here; just spend half an hour snogging Voldemort'.

He also figured he might've been annoyed at how little they told him, had the situation been different. As it was, he heard almost everything that was going on from Tess, who herself was kept up to date by Snape. So he knew about the Order, that the Weasleys and Hermione were at the headquarters, which was apparently Sirius' ancestral home, though they didn't know the location as it was under the Fidelius Charm.

Together with Tess, he'd already decided to not fake any displeasure at their letters when he'd finally see them – even though the occlumency allowed him significantly more control over his emotions by now, in turn improving his acting – and would instead bring Ron and Hermione in on the secret at some point during the holidays. When exactly had yet to be decided.

_Coming now,_ Tess said.

Harry immediately made his way down the stairs, ignoring the complaints from the living room, and opened the door just as Tess walked up the path, wearing a muggle shirt and trousers rather than dresses, like she usually did. They did just as good of a job showing her figure though.

He smiled. "Good morning."

"Good morning, birthday boy." She stepped up to him and gave him a kiss, which he eagerly returned. "Let me guess, your relatives have completely ignored you?"

"Not quite," Harry said. "They were complaining about me coming down the stairs just now."

Tess grinned as Harry put his arm around her waist and led her upstairs – not that she needed to be shown the way. "That's the best we could have asked for, I suppose. So, what did you get so far?"

"Nothing big," Harry admitted. "Mostly just sweets. Then again, it had to come via owl post so I can't really blame them."

"Hmm," Tess said, giving him a deep look as they sat down on his bed together. "Does that mean you'll blame me if I don't come with something better?"

Harry blushed. "I-I didn't mean it like that."

"I know you didn't." She gave him a quick kiss. "Not that I would be worried either way." She reached into her pocket and got out a small rectangular package, which expanded upon a tap with her wand.

"A book?" Harry asked. "You're reminding me of Hermione now."

"I found it on my travels, a few years after leaving Hogwarts," Tess said. "Go ahead, open it."

Harry grinned at her. "So not only is it a boring, dusty book, it's also second-hand?"

She ruffled his hair. "Let's see what you think of it _after_ you opened it."

He obliged, carefully removing the wrappings.

"_The Secret Tongue_?" he asked, reading the title.

Tess grinned. "Take a good look. That isn't English."

Harry peered at the book, and suddenly realized it was written in a wavy script that looked nothing like normal English letters. He'd only had such an experience with one other thing in his life… "Is this written in Parseltongue?" he asked.

"Indeed it is," Tess smiled. "It's a very old book, several hundred years at least, though I gave it a little brush-up yesterday. As far as I know, there's only a few books written in Parseltongue in existence worldwide."

Harry opened the book and found more Parseltongue. Now that he knew what to expect, he noticed the script, and yet reading it was as easy as if he were reading English. "So what's it about? I can hardly imagine it'd be about Parseltongue if you have to be a Parselmouth to read it."

"There's a short explanation of Parseltongue in the first two chapters," Tess said, "which might contain some interesting tidbits about what you can do. I know it taught me a few new things. Most of the book, however, deals with spells in Parseltongue."

"_Really_?" Harry asked in disbelief. "There are spells that can only be used with _Parseltongue_?"

Tess nodded. "There are. I'll admit, I didn't know about them either before I read this book. You'll find there's quite a few interesting spells in there. Oh, and there's an entire chapter devoted to working with snakes summoned by _Serpensortia_."

Harry grabbed her into an embrace and kissed her passionately. "Thank you so much, Tess. This is one of the best gifts I've ever received. And definitely the best birthday gift."

She pulled him down so they were lying on the bed, like she'd done quite a few times now. "So, do tell me about those other great gifts you've received then."

He smiled. "I guess there are two that beat the others, both for Christmas. One of them was in third year, when Sirius gave me a Firebolt anonymously. Mind you, we still thought he was a Death Eater at the time. Professor McGonagall actually took it away from me for several weeks to make sure it wasn't jinxed." He chuckled. "We actually got the sender right, but we were wrong in that it wasn't jinxed."

"And the other one?" Tess asked.

"My Invisibility Cloak," Harry said. "Dumbledore gave it to me for my first Christmas at Hogwarts – also anonymously, I should add. He'd had it in loan from my father when… he died, and Dumbledore decided he should give it to me as it's a Potter heirloom."

"Heirloom?" Tess asked, looking confused.

"Uh, yeah," Harry said, now feeling confused himself. "Is there something up with that?"

"Harry, invisibility cloaks aren't supposed to last more than maybe a decade. They're certainly not heirlooms."

"What?" he said. "But I _know_ my father used it in his school days as well. Sirius and Remus told me about it."

"If that's true it's definitely not a normal invisibility cloak. You got it here?"

"Sure." Harry got up and searched through his trunk for a few seconds before pulling it out and putting it on. He turned around, then remembered that Tess – of course – wouldn't be able to see him. She was sitting on the bed and fired a number of spells through the room.

"Can you take it off again?" she asked. Harry did so. "I couldn't detect you. Not with any of various spells that I _know_ can detect people under invisibility cloaks. I don't know what you have there, Harry, but it's better than any cloak I've ever seen."

Harry held up the Cloak and studied it, now looking at it in a somewhat new light. "No idea at all?" he asked, sitting down next to Tess, throwing the Cloak back into his trunk.

"Nope, coming up blank here. Maybe Dumbledore might know more? Perhaps best not to ask him about it though. You've had it for years and never came to him before, he might get suspicious if you would now."

Harry hummed his agreement. "Can't be too careful. So, what's the lesson today?"

"Lesson?" Tess asked as she – again – pulled him down on top of the sheets, then flung one of her legs over him and lay down on top of him. "It's your birthday, Harry, no lessons today." The following kiss left no room in Harry's mind for any thoughts about how she was suddenly lying on top of him. The very small part of his brain still able to think simply decided it was a good thing and moved on to focus on more important things – like that kiss.

Some parts of his body didn't need his brain to act, though. "You're poking me," Tess giggled as she finally released the kiss, making Harry blush. She remained firmly on top of him though, and almost by its own volition his hand moved up to cup her ass, which made her grin. "Finally some initiative, huh? I should've done this earlier."

Before Harry could reply, she locked him in another kiss and his hand slipped upwards under her shirt. As the kiss ended, he started trailing his hand in circles, and he wasn't sure what sound exactly she was making, but it definitely reminded him of purring. Finally, his brain caught up with recent events and he realized her breasts had been pressing down into his chest for several minutes now.

Tentatively, he brought his other arm up – all the while continuing to rub her back – and cupped his hand around one of those shapely breasts, hoping he wasn't crossing a line. Tess just smiled at him. "Yes, I _really_ should have done this earlier," she teased, which gave him the confidence to push her off of him, putting him in a better position to discover her body further.

"You're beautiful," he whispered.

She smirked. "You want to see more?"

Again, he blushed. Still, he accepted the invitation and pulled off her t-shirt. He admired her curves for a moment – including the ones still hidden by her bra –, then leaned forward and placed a kiss on her belly button. "Absolutely gorgeous." He trailed both his hands over the now exposed flesh as he went back to looking into her eyes. Those were still what he loved most about her.

Said eyes flicked down for a moment, and her lips formed a naughty smile. "Your pants are about to explode," she said mischievously. She reached down for his zipper, but Harry grabbed her wrist.

"I love you," he said as she gave him a questioning look, "but I'm not sure if I want to go that fast. Let me think it over first, please."

"Of course," she said, disappointment flashing over her face for a brief instant before she pulled him into another kiss. "When you're ready, Harry."

The rest of the day went by quickly as they kept chatting, snogging and touching each other. She did, however, talk him into taking off her bra at some point (and her taking his shirt off), which Harry had absolutely no regrets about. Her tits were just as beautiful as the rest of her.

* * *

The two days after Harry's birthday they'd spent in his room as well, mostly on extracurricular activities - as Tess called them -, but today they'd returned to the bench as it was a better location for actually getting some occlumency training done. Harry had just kissed Tess goodbye and was walking home when he encountered Dudley. He tried to rile him up a bit by commenting on the many misdemeanors his gang committed, but Dudley refused to react. Apparently, Tess's performances still hadn't been forgotten.

Suddenly, as they walked through a short alley, Harry noticed how the night started to darken. The streetlamps had gone out, and no stars shone from the evening sky anymore – which was pitch-black now. No sounds could be heard in the distance, and the temperature started to drop.

"W-what are you d-doing?" Dudley asked. "St-stop it!"

"I'm not doing anything!" Harry said. What was happening? Surely… surely there couldn't be…?

Dudley started whimpering as the temperature dropped further and the blackness deepened. Suddenly, Harry heard a deep, rattling breath which confirmed his – literal – worst fears. Immediately, he reached for the bond.

_Dementors!_

* * *

**AN: I bet you've all forgotten, but this story doesn't **_**just**_** have a romance tag. And for the calendar purists among you, yes I have indeed moved the dementor attack back a day.**

**AN: I also think it's only fair to mention that the initial overwhelming burst of excitement about this story has worn out (though there's still plenty left) which is why my writing speed has slowed down a little. I'm not entirely content with how it's currently going, however, and my goal is to get out about two chapters per week, more if possible. I'm also still aiming for reaching my 50k goal for April, though I'm currently not on track for that. So now you know what to expect.**


	8. Ch 7: Patroni and Letters

**AN: ****About Bellatrix****: She may become part of the pairing. Or she may not. I certainly intended to do so at first, but after writing and releasing the last chapter I've been spending some more thought on Harry and Tess's characters and (in particular) Bellatrix's intended character and character development in this fic, and I'm not actually sure which direction would fit better. At the moment, I'm saying it could go either way, and I don't think I'll make a definitive decision one way or the other until we actually get there. Oh, and if you're worried, I will be **_**very**_** careful to not break last chapter's characterization, no matter the direction I go into.**

**DISCLAIMER: **This chapter contains smut.

* * *

**Chapter 7: Patroni and Letters**

* * *

_Dudley started whimpering as the temperature dropped further and the blackness deepened. Suddenly, Harry heard a deep, rattling breath which confirmed his – literal – worst fears. Immediately, he reached for the bond._

Dementors!

* * *

_What?_ Tess exclaimed. _I'm coming immediately. Keep your wand ready, I may not be there in time. You do know the Patronus Charm, right?_

_I do_, Harry said, drawing his wand just as the first dementor hovered around the corner. Dudley had crumpled to the ground. The coldness started overcoming Harry as the creature drew closer, but he grabbed the memory of when Tess had first told him she loved him and held on to it. Please let her be in time…

A second dementor appeared, and the first closed in on Dudley.

_How long?_ Harry asked.

_Need to make it out of the wards,_ Tess replied. _They block Apparation. Just a little longer._

The dementor stood over Dudley and pulled back his hood.

"_Expecto Patronum!_" Harry shouted at the top of his lungs. At first, he thought the spell had somehow failed and only a trail of mist came out. Suddenly, he realized that wasn't the case – this was a corporeal Patronus. A snake.

As the creature attacked the dementor nearest to Dudley, scaring him away, Harry stared at the Patronus in wonder, but mostly a great deal of surprise. Luckily, it didn't suffer from his inattention and turned around to chase away the other dementor just as Tess Apparated in, wand out.

She gasped. "Damn, I was too late, wasn't I?"

Harry nodded, inspecting his wand. "I hope I won't get in trouble for this," he muttered.

Tess stepped over to him and lifted his chin up. "Hey, you'll be fine. This is a case of self-defense if I've ever seen one. And I don't see any muggles other than your cousin around, so you didn't break the Statute of Secrecy either."

The Patronus slithered towards them over the ground and Tess bowed down to take a good look at it before grinning.

"She's beautiful," she whispered, then suddenly surprised Harry with a kiss.

"Why is it a snake?" Harry asked, confused. "I had a stag as Patronus."

"_Expecto Patronum_," Tess said, and an identical snake left her wand. "Patroni tend to take a form related to someone we care about," she said. "I'm not really sure why your Patronus became like mine, and not the other way around, but I think your old Patronus also took after someone you cared about?"

"My father's Animagus form," Harry said.

"Then that's probably why," Tess said. "After all, it wouldn't make much sense for _me_ to have a stag Patronus. But let's get the whale home and see if you get any letters for this, shall we?" With a flick of her wand Dudley, who was still whimpering incoherently, started floating towards Privet Drive 4, closely followed by Harry and Tess.

"You have any chocolate at home?" she asked. "Normally I'd be against feeding him _anything_ until he's gone without for a least a week, but we should probably make an exception in this case."

"I still have some chocolate frogs," Harry said. "Think I'll take one myself too."

Tess nodded. "That might be a good idea."

They walked up the path to the house and Tess shot an _Alohomora_ at the door from range to allow Dudley to float through unimpeded.

"Who's there?" Vernon shouted upon hearing the door smack against the wall. He arrived in the doorway to the living room two seconds later and went purple on seeing the state Dudley was in.

"_What did you do to him?_" he demanded.

"To him?" Tess asked. "Nothing. Well, Harry saved his life, so there's that."

"What- how- no, I don't believe your rubbish! You came here just to threaten us and now you attacked our son!" He started lumbering forward but abruptly stopped as Tess's wand appeared in her hand.

"Mr Dursley," she said calmly. "I was not even around until everything was already over. I propose you will move to the living room now, and give us a chance to explain what happened. Harry, the chocolate frogs?"

Thankful to be away from Vernon's rage for a moment, Harry ran upstairs and got out a package with frogs from his quickly depleting birthday stash. Just as he entered the living room – where Tess had gotten the Dursleys to sit down – an owl flew in through the window and dropped a letter in Harry's face. Annoyed, he grabbed it and sat down next to Tess. Vernon chose that moment to regain his voice.

"What are you doing with those… _things_?" he demanded, leering at the frogs.

"These _chocolate frogs_ are, as the name implies, made of chocolate," Harry said, tearing one out of its paper. "And chocolate happens to be the one remedy to dementor exposure, which is what Dudley is suffering from. And me, to a lesser degree," he said, deftly taking off the head with a bit as he tore open another one.

"It's also the only case in which I'd speak in favor of letting that whale eat anything," Tess said, glancing at Dudley, who was still barely conscious. On Harry's request, she canceled the animation charm on the frog – Dudley would have a hard time getting something moving in his mouth when completely awake – and he was just about to shove it in his mouth when Vernon once again tried to intervene.

"No!" he shouted. "Dudley will not eat anything _your kind_ makes!"

"If you want what's best for your son, you'll let him eat chocolate," Tess said calmly. "That's Harry's birthday present he's giving away, you know. By the way, Harry, do read that letter, I think it's from the Ministry."

"_Ministry_?" Vernon demanded, redirecting his attention and allowing Harry to stow the frog in Dudley's mouth, upon which he automatically started chewing. Within seconds, his face started to regain some color. "People like you in the _government_? Oh, this explains everything, everything, no wonder the country's going to the dogs…"

Harry tuned him out as he read the letter. In shock, he read it again. Then he drew Tess's attention and showed it to her. Expelled. His wand to be snapped. Tess quickly read the letter.

"What a load of bullshit," she said, a tinge of anger – or perhaps exasperation – in her voice. "They can't legally do anything without a hearing."

"But…but they're coming for my wand _right now_," Harry said, ignoring Vernon's attempts to find out what was in the letter.

"And I'll explain them quite clearly why they're in the wrong," Tess said. "With my wand, if needed."

"But – Tess, you should stay hidden!"

"_Hidden_?" Vernon bellowed. "Are you in hiding? I knew it! You're a criminal! Out of—" Tess's silencing spell shut him up, and her impeding curse stopped him from advancing. Petunia still hadn't said a word, and was consoling Dudley, who was fully conscious – if scared – by now.

"I'm not letting them snap your wand, Harry. And don't forget that I'm not easy to recognize. At worst I'm some mystery friend of yours."

A second owl suddenly flew in through the window and dropped a letter in Harry's lap. Quickly, he opened it and found a hastily written letter by Arthur Weasley, telling him Dumbledore was at the Ministry and he was to stay where he was and not surrender his wand – clearly, he and any others thought Harry might have tried to leave. And he probably would have, had Tess not been here.

She read along over his shoulder and chuckled. "Dumbledore's already working it out for you. I daresay that between me and him, you have absolutely no reason to worry. So, how about we go explain your relatives what happened exactly?"

Harry nodded, and Tess started her explanation, Harry occasionally filling in bits and pieces. As they were halfway through, a third owl flew in, and Harry read it together with Tess. Apparently, the wand snapping and expulsion would be delayed until the trial. He wasn't off yet, though.

"We'll talk about it after we're finished here," Tess assured him before continuing. The Dursleys had by now been scared into obedience and barely interrupted the explanation as it went on, though Vernon's eye twitched as the fourth owl of the evening flew in with a quick letter form Sirius that made Harry chuckle despite the turbulent evening.

"Sirius isn't telling me anything either. Just more 'stay in the house, don't leave'. I wonder if anyone is going to congratulate me on scaring away two dementors by myself as a barely fifteen year old."

"I will," Tess said, leaning forward to brush her lips against his. "Very well done, Harry." She again turned her attention to the Dursleys and finished up the explanation for the evening. Just as she and Harry were about to go upstairs to talk without prying ears, the fifth owl of the evening flew in, a Howler in its beak. For a moment, Harry was shocked, thinking it was for him, but then it dropped the envelope in Aunt Petunia's lap, who looked at it with fearful eyes.

"Just open it," Harry said, "we'll all hear what it says anyway."

She refused, however, wildly looking around as if wanting to escape. Suddenly, the envelope burst into flames and a loud voice boomed through the room:

"REMEMBER MY LAST, PETUNIA."

Petunia looked back and forth between Harry and the envelope, trembling slightly.

"Who was that Howler from?" Harry asked.

"None of your business," Petunia snapped.

"I'm pretty sure that was Dumbledore's voice, right?" Tess said, tapping her chin with her finger. "What is his 'last'?" She pulled out her wand and twirled it in her fingers in a way that seemed absent-minded. Petunia eyed the weapon warily for several seconds, then decided to answer.

"When… the boy was left with us, he had a letter with him, explaining he would be safe here from… from the evil witch that had killed his parents."

Tess snorted, immediately making Petunia's eyes go wide with fear.

"Are… do you think we're not safe from her here?"

Harry barely held in a chuckle while Tess, too, did her best to keep a straight face while answering. "I don't think you need to worry about Voldemort," she said. "I've seen the protections Dumbledore has set up, and no wizard or witch that means to harm Harry will be able to pass through. So, I take it Dumbledore was probably worried you'd try to kick Harry out and needed a reminder?"

Vernon muttered something about that still being a good idea (which Tess completely ignored) while Petunia mutely nodded.

"Well, good thing I was here then to disabuse you of that notion already. How about we have a talk together, Harry?"

He nodded and followed her up the stairs to his room. As soon as he closed the door, she turned and pulled him in an embrace. He returned it eagerly. "Thanks for being here," he muttered in her hair. "I don't know what I'd have done without you." He sighed, the air blowing through her hair, and felt all energy draining from his body. After keeping her close for a few more seconds, he gently pulled her along and they sat down on the bed together.

"What now?" he asked.

She summoned a few pieces of parchment and a quill. "If I weren't here, you'd probably be writing your friends right now, so let's do that first."

Obediently, he copied the same quick letter three times, implying he wanted to know more like he'd been asking for all summer, then sent them to Sirius, Ron and Hermione. As soon as Hedwig was gone, he turned to Tess again. "What about the hearing?"

"I don't think you need to be worried," Tess said. "This is a case of self-defense if I've ever seen one, and even if it wasn't you'd only have broken the law on Underage Wizardry, not the Statute of Secrecy, which isn't enough to expel you – let alone break your wand. I wouldn't be surprised if Dumbledore is there for your defense, and he knows the law better than probably anyone else."

Harry stared at his lap. "But what if I do get punished and expelled?"

Tess reached to his chin and forced him to look into her eyes. "Do you want me to be there for the hearing?" she asked.

Harry just stared at her in confusion. "How would that be possible? It's right in the ministry!"

She smiled. "If I can't detect your Invisibility Cloak, then neither can the ministry."

After several seconds, Harry picked his jaw off the floor. "You want to sneak into the _ministry_ for me? But you could be found! It could jeopardize all your plans! You might—" Her finger on his lips shut him up.

"I'll be fine. I've slipped into places I shouldn't be before, and the Cloak is going to make it that much easier. While you're there we can keep contact through the bond so that you know where I am. If you're cleared, I just follow you out and no one ever knows. If they try to punish you, I'll fight my way out with you, plans be damned."

Harry stared at her. "But why?"

"Because you're you." She leaned forward and grabbed him into a kiss. After a few seconds, his gratitude for her, for what she was willing to do for him, overwhelmed everything else and he returned the kiss more passionately than he'd ever done. A solid minute passed before they parted.

"There's one more thing," Tess said, slightly out of breath. "I don't think it's safe for me to continue visiting you. The Order will probably pick you up in the not-too-distant future, and I just can't afford to be seen by them. Not to mention they might send a guard for you again."

Harry felt sadness creeping up, but decisively pushed it away as he took in the sight of his beautiful girlfriend, now that he still had the chance. "Then we'd better make our last time together count," he said.

Tess raised her eyebrows. "Do you mean what I think you meant?"

Harry blushed. Wait, did he? He hadn't thought of it when he said it, but then what _had_ he thought of? Before he had a chance to answer, Tess pushed him back on the bed and swung her leg over him, settling on top of him like she'd done on his birthday as well. She caressed his chest while showing a smile of a kind that made Harry go hard whether he wanted to or not. Which, considering her position, she noticed.

"Up to you," she encouraged him.

He wasn't sure which part of his body was currently doing the thinking - most likely not his brain -, but he found he didn't really care as he pulled her down into another kiss. His hands quickly found their way under her dress and he started working the garment upwards, not breaking the kiss. Tess replied by doing the same with his shirt, and she regretfully parted to allow him to pull the dress over her head before she mirrored that action with his shirt. As he was about to pull her body against his, she fumbled for her wand – which was still lying on the bed – and shot a locking and silencing charm at the door, after which she surrendered to his action and lay down flat on top of him. Again, their lips locked as Harry did his best to unclasp her bra, an action that took some time as his hormones were doing everything they could to shut his brain down.

Finally, it came off, and Harry, now starting to feel more confident, broke the kiss before turning her on her back, which made her grin, and then went on to massage her breasts. As he did so, she brought her hands to his zipper, and this time he didn't stop her as she opened it and pulled his pants off, leaving him in only his boxers after she vanished his shoes (and her own) to wherever. She then started massaging him through said boxers, soon eliciting a moan of pleasure from him as he continued working on her breasts, taking a nipple between his fingers and squeezing it, making her moan in return.

He bent down and kissed her, though not as intensely or lengthy as before, then whispered, "I love you."

"Show me," she smirked as she slipped her thumbs in his boxers and pulled them down. His prick, no longer held back by the fabric, immediately stood up straight. He moved aside, which allowed him to pull her knickers down, after which he immediately spread her legs again and positioned himself over her, drinking in the sight of her glistening wet pussy. "Well?" she encouraged him, raising her eyebrow.

He grinned at her, then bent through his knees to rest the tip of his erect dick against her slit. However, at the last moment he decided not to enter and instead he reached down to take her nipple in his mouth, using his tongue to play around with it.

"_Now_ you start teasing me?" Tess managed to say in between moans of pleasure. In reply, Harry flicked the nipple with his tongue, causing her to moan even louder. Her hands came up against his butt, trying to pull him closer, but the pleasure flowing through her body derived her of power, and Harry continued teasing her, now bringing up one hand to massage the other breast.

"Please…" Harry looked up into her eyes, still continuing to play with her nipple, and soon found himself unable to resist her pleading look, so he released her breast and slowly slid his cock down into her snatch, which made him unable to resist a groan of satisfaction himself. After he bottomed out, he receded again, then slid down a little faster, trying to draw as many moans from Tess as he possibly could. Soon, he established a rhythm in which Tess eagerly participated, both moving their hips forward at the same time. As the minutes went by, they steadily increased in speed, their moans growing louder, until suddenly her walls tightened around him while they were at their closest. The sudden pressure was enough to bring him over the edge, and he came deep inside her, grunting loudly.

He emptied as much as he could, and they found themselves panting. When he felt his orgasm was over, he lowered his body so he was lying partially on top of Tess and pulled out, then immediately locked her into a kiss.

After they released, Tess grabbed her wand and cast a spell on her abdomen.

"What's that?" Harry asked, barely taking the time to look down before turning back to her gorgeous eyes.

"Contraceptive charm. I doubt you want to be a father yet," she said with a smirk, before pulling him in another kiss without giving him the chance to blush. "That felt so good," she told him when they parted again.

Harry gave her a quick peck on her lips. "Then we'd better do it again sometime."

She grinned. "Well, if I want to look like this without transfigurations…"

Suddenly, Harry's mind was cast back to her comment a full month ago, when he'd first met her in Little Whinging. "Back then I hadn't thought I'd end up helping you out with that," he said with a slight blush as he remembered the encounter. "I regret nothing."

She trailed her hand through his hair as her smile suddenly turned from cute to scary. "I'm going to get you back for that tease though," she warned him. "Or torture, whatever it was."

Harry looked a little ashamed, unsure if he'd done anything wrong, which made her laugh. "Hey, that's part of the game. We're just a little better at using our tongue than most, which makes the teasing that much worse."

Now he was confused. "What do you mean, we're better at that?"

She grinned. "Talking to snakes isn't the only thing being a Parselmouth is good for."

"Oh," Harry said, blushing.

"I'll show you sometime, you can count on that. Even if only to repay you." She pulled his head close and gave him another long kiss, then sighed. "I'm afraid I'll have to go," she said.

Harry put his arms around her, stopping her from standing up. "Can't you stay here tonight? I mean… After what we just did, I'd enjoy actually sleeping together. Just once. Who knows how long it will take otherwise?"

"The transfigurations aren't going to last that long," Tess said.

"So what?" Harry retaliated. "Cancel them now and I don't even need to be surprised when I wake up tomorrow."

"But… Harry, you saw what I looked like in the graveyard. Do you really want to be reminded of that?"

He pulled her close. "I don't care what you look like. I love you."

"Are you sure?" she asked, still apprehensive.

He kissed her as passionately as he could, losing himself in the embrace for the better part of a minute. "Was that convincing?" he asked, slightly out of breath. She opened her mouth to reply, but he interrupted her. "Nothing I haven't seen before," he said. "Quite literally, as you were nude when you were resurrected."

She sighed as she grabbed her wand again. "Well, I can't deny I want to spend the night with you as well." She cast a few _finite_'s and her skin paled to a ghastly light grey, her hair receded into her head, and her eyes turned from grey into a bright red with slits for pupils. In addition to that, her nose receded and almost completely disappeared, and her body in general changed its shape slightly, making her look several years older.

Despite what Harry had told her, he felt some hesitation, but he still brought his lips forward, looking for a kiss. Tess seemed surprised for a moment, but then eagerly returned it, and Harry recognized her touch, even though she looked different.

After they parted, Harry lay down on his back and gave her a smile. "I'm not going to let anything come between us, Tess. Not if I can help it. And in… however short or long it takes, you're not looking like this anyway." He chuckled. "Even if this is a stronger reminder of how crazy my life has become this last month than anything else has been."

"Crazier than chasing me through the school to stop me from getting the Philosopher's Stone? Crazier than killing a basilisk at the age of twelve? Holding off a hundred dementors at the age of thirteen? Participating in a tournament that you're several years too young for?"

Harry chuckled. "Alright, it's probably par for the course. Still, though, it's supposed to only go crazy at the _end_ of the year. Fifth year hadn't even started yet."

"Deal with it," Tess said, giving him a quick peck on the lips. "Let's get some sleep, hm?"

"Good night," Harry murmured, snuggling up to her.

* * *

**AN: I'd originally intended to write another scene with lemons for the next morning, but considering how long writing the first one took me and how long the chapter is already, I'm leaving that to your imagination. Two more chapters to go until the new year starts, possibly on the longer side as well.**


	9. Ch 8: The Most Stubborn Witch of Her Age

**AN: If you're going to review with just "gross", don't bother reviewing at all. This story is clearly advertised as M-rated Harry/(fem!)Voldemort, nothing I've written should've been surprising. Of course, reviews in general are really appreciated, even though you don't (and won't) see me asking for them.**

**AN: So I had changed my mind and decided to scrap a summer chapter, only for the remaining chapter to become 6k (written in a single go, I might add), which made me decide to split it. So you're getting two chapters anyway, one today and one tomorrow. I would also like to mention that I cannot be held accountable for not finding a better point to split the chapters. I would also like to mention you are not supposed to remember that I am a sadist.**

* * *

**Chapter 8: The Most Stubborn Witch of Her Age**

* * *

Several days had passed since Harry had been whisked away by the Order to Grimmauld Place 12. So far, the only thing that had stopped him from panicking about the trial were his frequent mental conversations with Tess. The morning after the attack, she'd taken his Cloak with her when she left after she had made good on her promise to show what a Parselmouth can do – something Harry wasn't soon going to forget.

Twice, Harry had sweated when the Order was taking him along. The first time was when Remus, on Moody's insistence, asked him about his Patronus form to identify him. He had, of course, lied and given his old Patronus form, trying to hide his nervousness behind his occlumency. The second time came just a few minutes later, when Moody mentioned his Invisibility Cloak in passing – only to note it wouldn't be of much use as they were traveling on brooms, so they would use a Disillusionment Charm instead.

During the journey, Harry had shared some chuckles with Tess over Moody's paranoid flying. The cold eventually started annoying him, however, in particular because he knew there was not going to be any danger at all. When they'd arrived, Tess had convinced him to let her share his vision when he was shown the Fidelius Secret, and the following day she had passed by to confirm the Secret could indeed be learned that way. In other words, as Harry had put it, the main enemy of the Order of the Phoenix now knew the location of their headquarters.

When he'd arrived, he'd easily forgiven Ron and Hermione for not telling him anything in their writing, though part of that was to make sure he wouldn't accidentally reveal anything he wasn't supposed to know. They had accepted his words well enough, but Hermione had still realized that something was afoot, so he'd made a vague promise that he had something to tell her and Ron – and _only_ them – but that it would have to wait until after the trial, and he couldn't explain until he told them. Hermione had continued prying a little longer, but eventually accepted she would learn it in a few weeks.

They had been waging war against the house for days now, when a strange, heavy golden locket was found. It passed through various hands, but no one was able to open it. Eventually, Harry asked if he could see it one last time and reached out to Tess, showing her what he was seeing.

_We found this locket in the house but can't get it open. Do you have any suggestions?_

He felt her attention shift towards his vision – it wasn't the first time since he'd arrived that he'd shown her something – and suddenly heard the mental equivalent of a gasp. _Where did you find that?_

_It was lying here_, Harry replied. _Among all the other dark artifacts and everything._

_It's one of my horcruxes,_ Tess said, _and it's _not_ supposed to be there. Keep it with you, once we see each other you can give it to me. I have some plans for them anyway. And _do not_ wear it. There's a weak compulsion charm on it to wear it, but it'll try to possess you like the diary._

Harry slipped it in his robes while no one was watching. _Thanks for the warning._ He gave a mental chuckle. _Good thing I asked you about this one._

_Less good thing to know it's defenses have been breached. I'm going to have to figure out what happened._

_Good luck. And see you soon, I hope._

And with that, he went back to the War on Grimmauld Place 12.

* * *

The trial had been nerve-wracking for Harry, even though Tess had been standing right next to him – on the other side from Dumbledore, which had amused her to no end – and had even been giving him advice on what to say at various points. If Dumbledore was surprised at Harry's seeming familiarity with the relevant laws, he didn't show it. The end result, however, was that he was cleared of all charges. Tess had sneaked back out of the Ministry unnoticed, and Harry had returned to Grimmauld Place to celebrate.

As soon as he could, Harry took Hermione apart for a moment and whispered that she should come to the room he had Ron shared that evening, when everyone was asleep, and that he'd tell them what he'd hidden so far.

When they got ready to go to bed, Harry quietly told Ron, "keep your clothes on, we've got something to do."

"What do you mean?" Ron asked.

"Remember I told you and Hermione there was something I could only tell you after the trial?"

Ron nodded.

"Hermione is coming soon and then I can tell you, but we're going to have to go outside because I have to show you something, and I can't do that here."

Ron looked confused. "Why can't you do it here?" he asked.

"Hard to explain. It'll make sense when I show you."

"Okay, mate. You know, you're being awfully secretive."

"I know," Harry said, "I have to be. Let's just lie down for a bit and wait for Hermione, huh?"

Ron grunted in agreement.

It took perhaps half an hour before the door creaked open and Hermione stepped in.

"Ah," Harry said, his voice barely more than a whisper. "Let's go."

"Go?" Hermione asked.

"It's easier to explain if I can show you."

"Show us what?"

"Outside," Harry said.

"Harry, why don't you tell us first and we'll go outside after?"

"I _can't_," Harry said. "Look, it's very important that this stays a secret, from _everyone_. Right now, I'm one of three… no, four people who know. That's how secret it is. You understand?"

"So why don't you tell us here, rather than risking going outside and being found out?" Hermione reasoned.

Harry sighed. "Because it's really hard to believe if I can't show you proof."

"We'll always believe you, Harry," Ron said.

"No offense to either of you," Harry replied, "but I don't think you would. If you were to tell _me_ without proof, I know I wouldn't."

Hermione frowned at him. "Harry, what is this about?"

Harry stood up and walked towards the door. "Let's just go outside and I'll tell you everything, okay?"

"Harry," Hermione began again, "it's dangerous to be outside. You-Know-Who is out there."

"Hermione, the Death Eaters don't have a clue where this house is. And even if they do, it's the middle of the night. Come on."

She didn't reply, but also didn't move.

"It's very important to me, okay?" Harry continued. "Please, just come with me."

Hermione sighed. "Well, at least this time you're probably not leading us right into You-Know-Who's hands or something."

Harry gave a very soft chuckle. "I'll try not to." He raised his hands defensively at Hermione's glare. "Sorry, sorry, I was just joking."

Finally, his friends follow him down the stairway into the hall. When Harry reached for the door handle, Hermione stopped him.

"What about the Cloak?"

"Can't use it, it'll become clear."

"I'm putting a lot of trust in you here, Harry."

"I know, and I'm thankful for that, Hermione." _Even if it is only because I know you'll have to put quite a bit more trust me in before the evening is over_, he thought.

Harry unlocked the door and quietly the trio slipped out. When the door clicked shut, Hermione gasped.

"We can't get in without wand!" she said. "What are we—" Harry put her hand on his arm to silence her.

"Don't worry, I got that covered."

"Mate, I have to agree with Hermione, we have absolutely no idea what you're going to do."

"I know," Harry said. "Come, I want to get away from the headquarters a little first. Don't want to risk anyone looking out of the window."

He led them to the corner of a nearby street, where Hermione stopped dead in her tracks and crossed her arms. "Harry, I'm not going any further without you telling us what you're planning."

"Fair enough," Harry said, turning to face his best friends. "Before I tell you anything, I want to remind you that this has to stay secret. From _everyone_. Even Dumbledore, even Mrs Weasley, _even Sirius_. Do you promise you won't tell anyone?"

Ron nodded. "Of course."

"I can't promise that," Hermione said. "If it's something Dumbledore should know…"

"Hermione," Harry interrupted her, "if you don't give me a promise, I can't tell you."

"Harry, if there's something wrong—"

"There's nothing wrong," he interrupted her again. "It's just… sensitive. You remember how worried you were about how I felt when I arrived, right?"

She nodded.

He spread his hands. "And what would you say? Better or worse than you expected?"

"Better, I suppose," Hermione said, warily.

"That's because I know something you don't – yet. Something about the war that is to come. If I tell you that you can't tell anyone, can you promise me that?"

"If it's something good," Hermione asked, "then why does it need to stay a secret from the Order?"

"You won't understand until you know what it is," Harry said. He sighed. "Look, we can keep talking in circles or you can give me your promise and we'll clear everything up. If you really do believe that we should tell more people we can discuss it after, okay?"

Hermione nodded decisively. "We'll discuss it after."

"Alright then," Harry said. Ron had been silent for the entire discussion. "I suppose you've heard the entire story of what's happened in the graveyard two months back?"

"Uh, we've heard most of it," Hermione said. "Harry, how can there be something good about that?" She looked a little worried now, as if wondering if there was something wrong with him.

"Because most of it is pure bollocks," Harry said. "And no, I don't expect you to just believe me. Which is why we're meeting Cedric tonight."

"Meeting… _what_?" Hermione exclaimed. "Harry, Cedric is _dead_! You brought his body back yourself!" She stepped forward and tried to put her hand on his forehead, but he pushed it away.

"And who told you that?" Harry asked.

"Dumbledore!"

"And who told Dumbledore?"

"Well… you."

"Exactly," Harry said. "I'm the _only_ source of information for what happened there. What I brought back was a transfiguration."

"Harry," Ron interrupted, "are you… are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Harry said, turning. "As I said, I wouldn't expect you to immediately believe you." He gestured around the corner. "He's right here." And so was Tess, though she was hidden under the Invisibility Cloak and didn't interfere at all. Harry only knew she was there because she let him know her position.

Ron and Hermione stepped around the corner, wary. As they recognized Cedric, both gasped. "How?" Hermione asked.

"Didn't you listen?" Harry chuckled. "Most of what happened at the graveyard is pure bollocks. We're going to tell you what _actually_ happened."

Hermione turned back towards him. "Do you mean to say that You-Know-Who _isn't_ back?" she asked, pale. "You… you wouldn't do that, right? But why is Cedric still alive, then?"

Harry held up his hand before she could continue. "Her resurrection is about the only part of the story that's actually true."

"So… what happened then?" Hermione asked. "I… I thought killing an unintended second on sight is something she would do." She glanced at Cedric again.

"Yes, it was quite surprising that Wormtail was ordered to just stun him," Harry said. "Even if I was too scared at the moment to realize it. Apart from Cedric taking a stunner rather than a killing curse, everything up to Voldemort's resurrection is as I told it. After that… Well, it's quite the story."

Cedric chuckled. "It's still hard to believe," he said.

Harry gave him a flat look. "Imagine how it is for me."

"So what happened?" Ron pressed.

"The freshly-resurrected Voldemort stunned Wormtail, awakened Cedric, cut my bonds, conjured a few chairs and told us to sit down for a talk," Harry summarized.

Ron blinked. Then blinked again. "And what really happened?"

Harry chuckled. "It's hard to believe, isn't it? Cedric, back me up, is that what happened?"

Cedric nodded. "It is. I couldn't believe it either once you said her name and I realized who she was."

"Surely you didn't actually listen, right?"

"Hermione," Harry sighed, "we had both been disarmed. She had her wand at the ready. We didn't have much of a choice. And besides, it was already a vast improvement over how I would've expected a meeting with a resurrected Voldemort to go. The meeting I expected would've been more in line with the story you heard. Instead, the first thing she did was to apologize for killing my parents."

Hermione stared at him. "Why?"

"That's… more or less what I thought. She also told us that… how did she put it, Cedric? 'Catching a killing curse does wonders for one's sanity', right?"

He nodded. "Something like that."

"Anyway," Harry continued, "she then went on to tell us that she'd in the past performed some rituals that had been eating away at her sanity. And apparently, being reduced to a wraith returned that sanity. Can you imagine what it's like to wage war as a psychotic mass murderer for ten years and then suddenly regain your sanity and remember everything you've done?"

Hermione looked more worried now. "I can imagine that _would_ be pretty horrible, but are you certain she wasn't lying to you?"

"I had my doubts, Hermione, strong ones. But I can assure you that yes, it was the truth. She then told—"

"How do you know?" Hermione asked.

Harry sighed. "It would be easier to explain everything in order," he said. "Can you accept, for a few minutes, that it's true?"

"Okay then," she conceded. "You're only giving me more questions though."

Harry chuckled. "So was she. After she told us about that, she explained that she eventually decided that she wanted to make up for what she'd done. In particular," he held up his hand to stop Hermione from interrupting again, "she wanted to rid Britain of the Death Eaters, whose ideals she had used during the war to gain easy followers, because those Death Eaters did _not_ have the excuse of being insane, and could be held fully accountable for their actions."

"And you honestly believed that tripe?" Hermione erupted.

"No, of course not!" Harry said. "I'm not _that_ gullible. Believing her came later."

"So you do believe it!"

"Hermione," Ron said, "not that I don't agree with you, but can you please let Harry talk for a minute? Cedric _is_ right here and alive, after all."

"Where was I? Oh, yes, the Death Eaters. As you both know just as well as I do, there are quite a few Death Eaters who escaped Azkaban. Lucius Malfoy, for example. So she told us her plan, and this is why the Order can't know about this, as Dumbledore would _never_ agree to it. The Ministry is too corrupt to put the Death Eaters behind bars, and Dumbledore is too willing to give them second chances, so she is going to restart the war, except she's going to constantly put Death Eaters into situations where they're likely to be killed, and she's going to have people on hand to make sure they don't actually harm any innocents – Cedric is one of them. She's also going to keep up her insane persona for the people who see her – mostly the Death Eaters themselves – and will be using that as an excuse to kill the smarter Death Eaters that might see through it."

"And just what proof do you have she isn't leading you on?" Hermione demanded.

Harry started counting on his fingers. "First, she told me she was going to send me back to Hogwarts. Second, she swore an Unbreakable Vow to Cedric she was honest with what she wanted him to do. Third, she told me why she used my blood for her resurrection. The _real_ reason, not the bit about being able to touch me. Dumbledore confirmed it in his expression when he heard about her using my blood. Because my blood flows through her veins now, I _cannot_ die until her current body is gone. It's kind of similar to how she can't die because of the rituals she's done, except I didn't have to kill anyone for it. And fourth, what do you know of occlumency?"

"What's that?" Hermione asked.

"A way to defend your mind from outside attacks. If you ever felt like Dumbledore or Snape was reading your thoughts, it's because they were. It's called legilimency, and occlumency counters it. T—Oh, a fifth reason, she wants to use her real name, Tess Riddle, which goes directly against what she preferred in the past. Just ask Dumbledore. Anyway, to get back to the fourth point, Tess noticed that my scar was a link between me and her – that's where my dreams last year were coming from – and offered to teach me occlumency so I could use the link or block it, whichever I preferred. With everything else she'd told me, I figured that even if she was leading me on, she would continue to lead me on as she would've killed me in the graveyard if she wanted to, so I decided I might as well accept her offer. So she's been teaching me occlumency, and part of that is using legilimency attacks to improve the defense. During one of those attacks, something I did to keep her out caused the attack to reverse, and I saw into _her_ memories." He gazed intensely at Hermione. "That agony, that regret she told us about in the graveyard, it was all real. I've seen it, _felt_ it."

Hermione was gaping at him. "You… you agreed to meet her _again_?"

"Every single day for more than a month," Harry said. "I dare say I've seen her more than Cedric, who lived in the same manor with her and received dueling lessons. But I wasn't done listing reasons yet." He started on his other hand. "Six. She told me about the link. She could easily have hidden the knowledge away to spy on me, but instead she's been teaching me how I could use the link myself or block it. Seven. She's been nothing but honest with me. She's answered every question I asked, even things no one knew. Eight, when the dementors came, she arrived as soon as she could. She – obviously – came too late to fend them off herself, but was there to make sure the Dursleys wouldn't throw me out of the house after Dudley almost got Kissed, and she was there to calm me down when that first Ministry letter told me I was going to be expelled. And last, nine, she came into the Ministry with me this morning, ready to drop all her plans and fight me out if I would be convicted."

"That doesn't make sense, Harry," Hermione said. "Even if the other things you said are true, even You-Know-Who wouldn't be able to get in and out of the Ministry undetected like that."

"Yes she can," Harry said. "We found out that my Invisibility Cloak is immune to all means of detection. _All_."

"You gave her your _Invisibility Cloak_?" Hermione exclaimed, to which Harry nodded. "Are you _insane_? Just… just let me get this straight. You gave her your trust. You gave her your address. You gave her your Cloak. What's next, you're going to tell me you gave her your virginity?"

"Now that you mention it, yes he did," Tess interceded, pulling off the Cloak and handing it to Harry. Hermione and Ron screamed in surprise and shock. And probably not a little disbelief once her actual words caught up to them.

Harry gave Tess a flat look. "You know, that's not how I intended to tell them."

She shrugged. "The moment was too good to pass up on."

* * *

**AN: This is probably only a temporary thing, but for the next few chapters I'm going to recommend a few other fics because some just deserve to be read more. First up is OlegGunnarsson with Keystone Council, which has five Harry Potters in different worlds that can mentally talk to each other and together have to find a way to deal with the various challenges they come across at their Hogwartses. Very well written, and there is much less confusion about which world a scene plays in than one might expect from the idea, which is a credit to the writer.**


	10. Ch 9: Meet Tess Riddle

**AN: For the Recursion readers: I've decided on some major changes, please see my profile for more information.**

**AN: For everyone: I've also updated my profile with the various ideas I have for future stories. So if you're curious what I'm likely going to write after I'm done with Advantages, take a look.**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Meet Tess Riddle**

* * *

Ginny was still excited that Harry had been exonerated, and had trouble sleeping. She'd kind of drifted off, but had then woken up again… and realized that Hermione was gone. She put on her slippers and quietly made her way to the corridor, then the stairs. Just as she was moving down, she distantly heard the front door click.

Hermione was probably with Harry and Ron, then. Where could they possibly be off to? After a moment of hesitation, Ginny made her way downstairs and slipped out of the house, looking around if she could still see them. Indeed, they were standing at a corner just a short distance away, talking. The door shut behind her, and she realized there was no going back. She might as well continue snooping around then. Still, she wanted to know what they were up to, so she wasn't going to show herself and risk them telling her to go back. Instead, she hid in a shadow and watched them. After a few minutes, they rounded the corner, and she quickly moved from her hiding spot.

When she carefully peeked around the corner, making absolutely sure she wasn't seen, she noticed they were talking with a fourth person, though she couldn't recognize that person from this distance. The conversation went on for several minutes, including a little bit of quickly hushed shouting between Harry and Hermione – but mostly from Hermione. Ginny had no idea what they were talking about, however. Still, she waited. When they came back, she'd confront them and ask what it was about.

Suddenly, a fifth person appeared, probably taking off an invisibility cloak, and Ron and Hermione screamed. Alarmed, Ginny grabbed her wand and left her hiding place to get a good look at the person that had just appeared. When she recognized the face that had haunted her nightmares for the last two years, she too screamed in fear.

* * *

Harry whirled around on hearing the high-pitched scream down the street and was horrified to see Ginny. Tess barely needed any longer than him to recognize her. _Calm her down_, Tess told him. _We'll explain her too._

Harry hurried over to Ginny, who looked at him, scared.

"Ginny," he said. "Calm, breathe, everything's fine."

"H-Harry, that's… that's…"

"I know, I know." He tried to put an arm around her, but she pulled back. "Look, Ginny, it's a long story, and we're going to explain everything to you."

"Harry," she hissed. "That's _Voldemort_. You know that! Has she… has she cursed you?" Fear crept into her voice.

"_Ginny_," Harry snapped. "I need to you _calm down_ and _listen_. I'm fine. She hasn't done anything to me, and she's not going to do anything to you either. Do you _really_ think I'm stupid enough to sneak out here if I don't know who's around?"

Ginny turned around and started running towards Grimmauld Place only for Tess to Apparate in front of her and put her in a body-bind curse.

"Miss Weasley, I promise you I will do you no harm, but you have to listen. That's why Harry brought your brother and Miss Granger out here as well."

"I won't let you curse me!" Ginny screamed. "I'd rather die!"

"Well," Tess said lightly, "good thing I'm not planning on cursing you, then. Now come along and hear us out. I think the other two wouldn't mind a little extra explanation as well." She levitated Ginny over to the others, Harry walking along with her.

"Miss Weasley, first things first, please meet Cedric Diggory. I realize it's a little hard to shake hands right now, my apologies for that." She swished with her wand and a bunch of chairs appeared. Ginny levitated to one chair while the others – except Ron and Hermione, who seemed to be in a fight or flight situation – sat down in their own.

"And talking about apologies, I believe I should give you one as well. From what Harry told me, one of the five worst mistakes I ever made ended up almost killing you. I am very sorry, both for making the diary in the first place and for letting it fall into the hands of someone stupid enough to use it for their own purposes rather than waiting for me to get back. And, of course, for not getting it back earlier, because I probably could have, but I overestimated Lucius Malfoy's intelligence. If it's any consolation, I assure you Lucius will pay for it."

Ginny glared at her. "What are you getting at?"

Tess remained silent for a few seconds, contemplating her words. "From what you've seen from me so far tonight, would you say I appear sane?"

Ginny just continued glaring.

"Mr Weasley, Miss Granger? What would you say?"

Harry started laughing when they remained silent. "I think you broke them, Tess. If it's any solace, I think you're quite sane these days."

She gave him a smile. "I would be quite worried if you didn't think so. Anyway. Miss Weasley, you've probably heard some stories about the war from your parents, haven't you?"

"Yes." Harry was pretty sure Ginny could set parchment on fire with her eyes.

"Then you've probably heard that, at the time, I was _not_ very sane. And that makes all the difference. You see, when I hit Harry here with the killing curse – sorry for that—"

"You're forgiven."

"—Yes thank you, after the curse rebounded and hit me instead, it not only killed my physical body, but also returned my sanity. After I'd spent, oh, six months or so consumed by self-hatred and realized death wasn't going to come just because I wanted it to, I figured I should try to fix some of the mess I had caused. After all, I had used the idea of blood supremacy to further my own goals – quite hypocritical, I might add, as I'm the daughter of a near-squib and a muggle – but even though I was gone the belief was still there, just like it had been before I came to power. Beyond that, people like Lucius Malfoy had escaped prison due to the corrupt government even though it was an open secret they had committed crimes while sane and without outside control like the Imperius. So, I figured, if I wanted to make up for at least some of what I had done – and I'll be honest, I don't think I can ever completely make up for it – then what better way to go about it than by removing from society the people who are powerful, bigoted and in the belief their bigotry justifies violence?

"I could have decided to do it as a vigilante, breaking into their homes and killing them in their sleep – after all, I knew who my followers had been. However, that way the world would never know of their crimes. If they would die while wearing Death Eater garb, however… Can you see where I am going?"

"No," Ginny said after a few seconds.

"I'm going to start the war up again. Only! I'm going to maneuver Death Eaters into positions that appear advantageous, but are in fact deadly for them. I'm going to secretly send along other people, like Cedric here, to protect innocents. I'm going to kill them for their supposed failures when they report to me. In other words, I am going to fake an entire war. Cedric was the first supposed victim of said war, and more will probably follow. People who have reportedly died, but are in fact still alive and work from the shadows to guide the war in the right direction. That way, the rotten part of Magical Britain will be cut out, and in a few years, none should be left, except perhaps in Azkaban."

"I don't believe you! How do we know you're not just misleading us? That diary of yours led me by the noose for months!"

Tess grimaced. "After telling Cedric the same things, I swore him an Unbreakable Vow that my intentions with him were as I said. Barty Couch Junior, who had been impersonating Mad-Eye Moody last year, has been killed for some supposed failure while he had done exactly as I had told him to. Soon, I will 'discover' what happened with the diary and kill everyone in the room in rage. I just need to make sure the correct people are there. But my strongest proof is Harry. He has, by accident, experienced how I felt after the killing curse rebounded. Beyond that, he's had a month to get to know me in general, and considering how he acts towards me… well, I'm pretty sure he likes and trusts me."

"You probably Imperiused him!"

"I can assure you I didn't… Wait, actually, I did Imperius him at one point. But that was with his permission, so it doesn't really count. It was really just a way for him to be able to tell a fake story to Dumbledore about what had happened at my resurrection without Dumbledore realizing it was a lie. The matter is moot anyway, as Harry can throw off the Imperius if he wants to. If I would try to hold him under the curse, he'd either throw it off completely or he'd constantly be fighting it so badly you were bound to notice something was off."

"There's also the minor matter where you snuck into the Ministry for my trial to get me out safely if I would be convicted," Harry added. "And gave me advice on what to say."

Ginny looked flabbergasted at that.

"Why do you think I had Harry's Cloak just now?" Tess said, noticing her reaction. "It's a very powerful Invisibility Cloak, you know. As far as I am aware, it cannot be detected by anything magical at all. I walked straight through the Ministry without setting off a single alarm." She chuckled. "If I wanted, I could've probably grabbed that prophecy and gotten out completely undetected."

"Prophecy?" Hermione asked. It was the first thing she'd said in ten, fifteen minutes.

"There's a prophecy about me and Harry," Tess said. "It's why I went after him when he was a baby. I don't know the entire thing, however, just that he has "the power to vanquish the Dark Lady" and a few pointers that allowed me to determine the subject was him. In the part that I know it doesn't state that he _will_ do so, however, and at this point neither of us can kill the other without taking a killing curse ourselves first, so it's kind of moot anyway. And if you're wondering, yes I'm pretty sure that anything _less_ than a killing curse isn't going to cut it. Even if it would normally be lethal."

"I still don't trust you," Hermione muttered.

"You don't have to," Tess said. "As long as you trust Harry enough that you won't tell anyone what I'm doing. If Dumbledore knows what I'm planning… Well, I think he might be willing to give even me a second chance, though I don't think I would count on it, but he certainly wouldn't be willing to let me get the Death Eaters killed. Do all three of you accept that, or is there more you want to hear?" She spread her hands. "I'll answer any question you have. I won't lie, I won't avoid the subject, I won't try to mislead you."

It remained silent for a few seconds, then Hermione spoke. "What about first year? The troll, trying to throw Harry off his broom, trying to get the stone, then trying to kill Harry again. If we are to believe the story you told us and Harry, you were sane back then."

"I was," Tess said. "The troll was… supposed to be a distraction in an empty part of the castle. I'm sorry you were there due to bad luck, though I suppose that was yet another time where Harry showed just how extraordinary he is. If I'd have thrown Harry off his broom, there were a dozen professors ready to catch him. He probably wouldn't even have broken a bone. And while I did make it seem as if I were trying to kill Harry at the end of the year, his mother's protection was still intact at the time. I'm sure you've heard, in the recounting of the events, that I ordered Quirrell to physically touch him, rather than fire spells at him. All rather… pathetic attempts to kill Harry in hindsight, wouldn't you agree? But still valuable to make people believe what they expected to see. As for stealing the stone, I did indeed try that, as it would have been an easier way to restore my body. However, I think it's perhaps a good thing that it failed, as using the ritual I used allowed me to use Harry's blood. I don't think I can give a better show of intention than by making it impossible that he dies before I do. Does that suffice as an answer?"

"I guess you have a point," Hermione said thoughtfully. "At least the not wanting to kill Harry part."

Tess smiled. "Anything else?"

Hermione glanced back and forth between Tess and Harry, now looking a little uneasy. "What you said earlier… That's not really the case… right?"

Harry blushed deep red.

"Is that really the hardest thing to believe at this point, Miss Granger?" Tess asked.

"In my defense," Harry muttered, glancing down under Hermione's glare, "she admitted to seducing me."

Tess scoffed. "I admitted to _planning_ to seduce you. Then you were being all understanding and forgiving and seeing only the best in me. I'm pretty sure I fell for you before you fell for me."

"Wait," Ginny said, realization dawning. "You are… with her... Merlin's saggy balls!"

"Language!" Hermione scolded automatically.

"Why?" Ginny accused Harry.

"Because she was there for me every single day for the entire summer," he said. "Because she was always willing to listen to me. Because she answered every question I asked as well as she could." His voice became stronger. "Because she completely opened herself up to me. Because she's genuinely trying to become a good person. Because no one deserves a second chance more than someone who never had a _first_!"

His voice rose in intensity with every word. "Because she's willing to move heaven and earth for me. Because she would abandon all her plans in a heartbeat if I were in danger. Because she truly regrets what she's done. Because she wishes to give me back the happiness she had taken from me on that Halloween. Because despite what she has to live with, she doesn't just curl up and wait for everything to end." His voice broke. "Because I know, beyond a shred of doubt, that she would instantly give her own life if it meant even one person she killed would live again! How can I not love her?"

Harry blinked away the tears that sprang up in his eyes. A second passed, then another, and suddenly Tess moved over to him and sat on his lap, pulling him into a hug. He rested his chin on her shoulder, thankful for the close contact.

"I'm sorry," Hermione said, bringing Harry back to reality. "For not trusting you. It's... a lot to take in, on one evening, but no spell could mimic such emotion. We'll protect your secrets."

Harry looked at Ron, who nodded in support, then at Ginny. "Ginny?"

She returned his gaze for a second, a multitude of emotions crossing her face. Then, she nodded resolutely. "You can count on me."

"Don't ever change," Tess murmured into Harry's ear before she disentangled herself from him and straightened her robes.

He overlooked the small group. "Well, this took quite a bit longer than I was expecting. We should slip back in and hope no one has noticed our absence." He glanced at Tess. "And if they have, will you help me create a cover story?"

Tess smiled. "Of course. You'll probably still be in some trouble if you are found out though."

"I knew that beforehand," Harry said, as he stood up and started leading them back.

"Harry," Hermione asked after a few seconds, "just how are we going to get back in?"

Harry smiled. "Remember the bond between me and Tess I told you about? With some effort, we can share each other's senses. When I read the parchment telling me the address, she was reading along. She can open the door for us."

Hermione's mouth opened, then closed again. After a second, she opened it again for a second try. "I-I want to scoff at you for showing _You-Know-Who_ the address, but after just now, I suppose I can't really."

"What's so hard about saying Voldemort?" Tess wondered. "Not that I use that name among the people who know who I really am, but still. Just go ahead, say it. I'm not going to come and kill you, you know. Oh, by the way Harry, I believe you have something for me as well, right?"

"I almost forgot," Harry said, fishing the locket out of his robes and handing it to her. "What are you going to do with it?"

"I have a few ideas, but it's completely new territory, so it may take a while before I can put them into action." She stepped up to the door and rapped it with her wand, causing the system of locks to start opening.

"Well, I'm looking forward to hearing more," Harry said. He leaned forward to give her a kiss just in time before she disillusioned herself. A moment later, the door opened into an empty hallway.

"Well," he whispered, "all get to our rooms and hope no one noticed. If anyone questions you, send them to me, Tess will help me spin some lies."

The other three nodded and they carefully made their way up through the dark house. Two minutes later, Harry was back in his room with Ron. It seemed their absence had indeed gone unnoticed. Not ten minutes passed before he was deep asleep.

* * *

**AN: It's the last day of the month, so time for the Camp NaNo tally. Goal was 50k and finishing the story. I didn't quite meet the goal, as I got roughly 35k words right now (not counting ANs and some inconsistencies in ffnet's calculations), and I didn't even come close to finishing the story. Currently, I'm expecting this fic to be 120-160k long by the time I'm done, and I will be doing my very best to keep up the current pace. If I succeed at doing so, it should be done sometime in August, most likely.**

**AN: The next fic I'm going to recommend is TendraelUmbra's Harry Potter and the Scrambled Sorting. Where everyone gets sorted into the house they **_**should**_** be in. It's not very long yet, but it has been a very entertaining read so far.**


	11. Ch 10: Blood Quill

**AN: I'm amazed at the number of follows and favorites that have been rolling in recently! Currently sitting at 228 favorites and 353 follows (though it might very well be more by the time I finish editing and press the upload button).**

**AN: This is now the longest single story I've ever written, and I have absolutely no intention of stopping any time soon. So I'm partying tonight!**

**AN: Also, I wrote a random one-shot earlier today, Perfectly Arranged Betrothal. Check it out if you're interested.**

**Disclaimer: **Parts of this chapter are taken from chapter 12 of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

* * *

**Chapter 10: Blood Quill**

* * *

The last two weeks of August passed quickly, and all too soon they were back at Hogwarts, where a nasty surprise awaited – Umbridge, one of the few people at the trial who had voted Harry guilty, had been appointed by the Ministry as new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Hermione and Tess – who had been listening in on her unexpected speech – agreed with each other that it seemed ominous, and that she would likely try to increase her influence or even attempt to get Dumbledore sacked.

The next morning they received their time tables, and Harry groaned so badly that Tess took note.

_What is it?_

_My schedule. History of Magic, double Potions, Divination, double Defense Against the Dark Arts. That's the three worst professors and Umbridge on a single day._

_Is Severus that bad?_

Harry snorted. _Just watch._

Hermione leaned over to him. "Are you talking with her again?"

Harry nodded. "Invited her to watch Snape teach. Who knows, maybe she'll do something about it."

"You know," Ron remarked, "it's still hard to believe that… well, you know." He gestured at nothing in particular.

"One gets used to it," Harry said, then lowered his voice further. "I amused myself quite a bit at the Dursleys imagining how you'd react if I would write the truth in my letters. You know – 'Met Voldemort again today, we kinda got off-topic, then we ended up kissing, I guess she's my girlfriend now or something.' "

They laughed. "I'd have thought you'd gone off the deep end, mate," Ron said. "Actually, maybe I still do."

Hermione glared at him. "That's not a nice thing to say."

"He has a point," Harry said, still chuckling. "Let's be real, what's easier to believe, the escaped convict… _Snuffles_ being my caring godfather, or me and her being in a relationship."

Hermione was silent at that.

"You know," Harry said, turning pensive, "I kind of miss her. Been more than two weeks since we last saw each other and we didn't have much time to actually, you know, _see_ each other, considering we were busy getting you two to believe us. Maybe I could sneak out of Hogwarts sometime and meet up with her somewhere…"

Hermione looked aghast. "You're not allowed to leave the school grounds!"

"So I can't see her until, what, next year when I'm at the Dursleys again?"

"You can talk," Hermione pointed out.

"It's not the same," Harry said. "I want to, well… do relationship things with her. You know, holding hands, kissing, things like that." He blushed a little. Then he blushed deeper when he remembered he'd promised to help her out regaining a normal human appearance, and started thinking about where he could meet her.

The answer came to him a few hours later, when they were walking from History of Magic to Potions.

_Tess?_

_One second. … Okay, what is it?_

_I was thinking we should meet up sometime. You know, so we can actually see each other. Perhaps on Saturday? I could sneak out of the school with my Invisibility Cloak and then take a secret tunnel to the Shrieking Shack. It's always empty so we could meet there._

_That'd be nice. Good thinking, Harry._

_Are you busy with something?_

_I'm doing some duels with Cedric, why?_

_We're on our way to Potions now, want to see what Snape calls teaching?_

_Sure, I'll round up the lesson with Cedric here._

Several minutes later, Harry sat in the Potions classroom, waiting for the lesson to start. He'd put his shields up now that he knew Snape was a legilimens – really, that explained _so_ much – but made sure to not block off the connection, and he could feel Tess's presence in the back of his mind, sharing his senses.

As always, Snape theatrically entered the classroom and told them to settle down. Then, he started his OWL lecture.

"Before we begin today's lesson, I think it appropriate to remind you that next June you will be sitting an important examination, during which you will prove how much you have learned about the composition and use of magical potions. Moronic though some of this class undoubtedly are, I expect you to scrape an 'Acceptable' in your OWL, or suffer my… displeasure."

His gaze lingered on Neville.

_There we have the first insult already,_ Harry said. _Did you know Snape is actually Neville's boggart?_

"After this year, of course," Snape continued, "many of you will cease studying with me. I take only the very best in my NEWT Potions class, which means that some of us will certainly be saying good-bye."

His gaze lingered on Harry, who felt his shields rebuffing a legilimency probe. The change in Snape's expression was so minute Harry would have missed it if he hadn't been watching for it.

_Implications clear_, Harry said. _If you're wondering, he particularly likes picking on me and Neville._

"But we have another year to go before that happy moment of farewell, so whether you are intending to attempt NEWT or not, I advise all of you to concentrate your efforts upon maintaining the high-pass level I have come to expect from my OWL students. Today we will be mixing a potion that often comes up at Ordinary Wizarding Level; the Draught of Peace, a potion to calm anxiety and soothe agitation. Be warned: if you are too heavy-handed with the ingredients you will put the drinker into a heavy and sometimes irreversible sleep, so you will need to pay close attention to what you are doing."

_So,_ Harry summarized, _we're making a potion that could put you into a coma if prepared wrong, and he doesn't bother telling us where, in the hour-and-a-half long process, the risk lies._

"The ingredients and method are on the blackboard, you will find everything you need in the store cupboard. You have an hour and a half… start."

They set to work, Harry making sure to keep an eye on Snape for most of the time to point out how he was constantly praising Slytherins and hovering over or insulting Gryffindors. The potion was very hard to make, and Tess couldn't stop herself from explaining why certain ingredients needed to be added in a certain order or quantity. Something, Harry immediately remarked, that Snape had never deigned to do. He had, however, asked Tess to not give him any advice on the potion itself or correct any mistakes, as Harry knew the best example of Snape's abysmal teaching often came at the end of the class.

"A light silver vapor should now be rising from your potion," Snape called with ten minutes left to go.

Harry gave his potion – which was emitting copious amounts of dark grey steam – a good look. _Looks like I made a mistake,_ he said. _You probably know where?_

_Third line, forgot to add hellebore. Everything else was correct._

_Now watch._

Snape stopped at his potion, a horrible smirk on his face.

"Potter, what is this supposed to be?"

_Watch all the Slytherins perk up. They know exactly what's going to happen._

"The Draught of Peace," Harry answered.

"Tell me, Potter, can you read?"

_Here we go,_ Harry said as Malfoy laughed.

"Yes, I can," Harry told Snape, trying to appear more uncomfortable than he really was, considering this was more of a presentation to Tess than anything else.

"Read the third line of the instructions for me, Potter."

" 'Add powdered moonstone, stir three times counterclockwise, allow to simmer for seven minutes, then add two drops of syrup of hellebore.' "

"Did you do everything on the third line, Potter?"

"No," Harry said quietly.

"I beg your pardon?"

"No," Harry said more loudly. "I forgot the hellebore…"

"I know you did, Potter, which means that this mess is utterly worthless. _Evanesco_."

_What?_ Tess said. _That should be an A, if not an E!_

"Those of you who _have_ managed to read the instructions, fill one flagon with a sample of your potion, label it clearly with your name, and bring it up to my desk for testing. Homework: twelve inches of parchment on the properties of moonstone and its uses in potion-making, to be handed in on Thursday."

_And just like that,_ Harry said, _I get a zero while my potion is no worse than Ron's or Neville's, let alone Goyle's over there._ Goyle's flagon shattered when he tried to put the potion in, and then it set his robes on fire. Which Snape of course quickly doused without a reprimand.

_And you know what_, Harry said, leaving the classroom for lunch with Ron and Hermione, _if this happened occasionally I probably wouldn't even care, but it's so common I told you to watch beforehand because I _knew_ it was going to happen._

_I'm going to explain him a few things next time I see him,_ Tess said, a tinge of anger in her voice. _This is completely unacceptable._

"That was really unfair," Hermione said as they sat down for lunch. "Your potion wasn't – wait, why are you smirking, Harry?"

"Tess has been watching during the entire lesson," Harry said. "She was not amused. I daresay our Potion lessons will finally be getting better after five years."

"So you're going to strong-arm your way into it?" Hermione asked, sounding displeased.

Harry opened his mouth, then closed it again. He considered the question for a few seconds, then closed his eyes, leaned back and sighed. Deeply.

"Hermione. First, _I'm_ not strong-arming my way into anything. Second, all _Tess_ is going to do is ensure I have a fair Potions education. Just a minute ago you said I don't have one now. If it's any consolation, I think Snape is mentally incapable of treating me better than others."

"Harry, you can't just run to her every time you have a problem."

"And I won't. But a normal year of school would be delightful, in particular now that I no longer have to worry about a psychotic mass murderer trying to kill me, and Snape treating me fairly would go a long way towards that."

Hermione huffed. "Whatever."

"You know," Harry remarked, overthinking what he had just said, "this is actually the second time I find out there is actually _not_ a psychotic mass murderer trying to kill me."

"You have a strange life, mate," Ron said.

"I'd still not take my chances if there's a third psychotic mass murderer after me," Harry said. "I guess I could put the first two on the case though." He chuckled. "Between Snuffles and Tess I don't think anyone can get to me."

"About that," Ron said, "why hasn't she, I don't know, let Wormtail get caught or something so Snuffles could be proven innocent?"

"We'll do that at some point before the year ends, but she needs a Death Eater that can easily be confounded to follow orders even if he sees things he's not supposed to see, just like he was the Binder for Cedric's Unbreakable Vow, and apparently he's the easiest to confound."

"Why does she need him when she has Cedric to do things?" Hermione asked.

"Complicated," Harry said. "But we'll get Sirius free before the end of the year."

"Are you _sure_ she's not leading you on?"

Harry sighed. "Hermione, I know exactly what she needs him for, and I completely agree with her that this is the best way to do it. Also," he lowered his voice even further, "it'll get Bellatrix Lestrange on our side. According to Tess she's the best duelist in Britain after Dumbledore and herself."

"Bellatrix Lestrange… The name rings a bell, but I don't know why."

"Don't look into it," Harry said. "I know you'll want to do that, but… well, please just accept it. For someone else's sake."

"What do you mean, Harry? You're being very confusing, you know."

"Yes, I know." He sighed, trying to think of how to explain it. "Look, just leave it be for now. You'll probably hear it anyway before the end of the year. I accidentally found out last year, and Dumbledore asked me to keep it to myself."

Hermione nodded, placated.

* * *

Harry didn't know why he'd said 'between Snuffles and Tess I don't think anyone can get to me'. After four years, he really should have known better. But he hadn't, and during the Defense Against the Dark Arts college he'd landed himself a detention. Tess had been watching during most of the lesson, like she had been doing during Potions, and if she was annoyed at Snape's behavior in class, she was revolted by Umbridge.

Putting it like that, however, meant there were no words left to describe her reaction when Harry put Umbridge's quill to the paper for the first time. Tess had been doing whatever a fake Dark Lady was doing when Harry's surprised jolt of pain reached her and she asked what was wrong.

_Just watch._

He put the quill to the paper again and wrote a second line. Again, pain seared through his hand, the same sentence he had just written. He kept his eyes firmly on his hand so Tess could not only feel but also see what was going on.

_A blood quill!_ Tess exclaimed. _That's just barbaric. Don't complain, that's probably just going to earn you more detentions considering how you earned this one. Pull up your occlumency shields to block out the pain as much as possible. I'll look into ways to deal with her, no need for you to worry about that. And feel free to rant to me during your detention._

_Thanks,_ Harry said, pulling up his shields. It indeed helped in dealing with the pain, and Tess's company kept him distracted from the pain that soon pulsed up constantly from his hand. By the time Umbridge finally let him go, it was past midnight, and Harry was glad he'd received only one detention. He certainly didn't intend to get any more.

_So what exactly are you going to do about her?_ he asked Tess as he made his way back to the Gryffindor tower.

_I have yet to decide,_ Tess said. _I got the feeling she believes in blood purity, and she definitely believes in the superiority of wizards and witches over other races, but I don't think she's the kind of person who would take up the Dark Mark. She seems to have a very simplistic worldview where Death Eaters are as evil as werewolves or giants are reprehensible. Still, I might try to contact her through a few Death Eaters. If she's willing to take the Mark it's clear enough where her priorities lie and I'll get her killed like the other Death Eaters. If she won't, I think I'll try and get the imperius on her and protect you and your classmates that way, and we'll see after the war how extremist her views are._

_You're still going to use the imperius? _Harry asked.

_Yes,_ Tess admitted. _Quite a bit, in fact. I'm going to set up a so-called imperius tree, where I put people under the imperius who then themselves put people under the imperius, and so on. It gives less direct control, but it allows me to release control of everyone at once. It also means that the people under the imperius can appear to be working towards Death Eater goals without in fact doing so, as they're under my control and not a Death Eater's control. In fact, those people are supposed to make up the main force in the war, as I can use them to project strength without having to get rid of them at some point, like with the Death Eaters._

_That… actually makes sense,_ Harry said as he climbed through the portrait hole. _Anyway, thanks for being there to talk to, and good night._

_Good night,_ Tess echoed.

* * *

"Ah, Severus. I've wanted to see you for a few days. Would you care for a drink?"

He eyed the bottle in Tess's hand suspiciously. "Just one," he said. "I have to teach again tomorrow."

Tess poured his drink. "Understandable. After all, there is nothing more important than properly educating the next generation, wouldn't you agree?"

"Perhaps," Severus said as he took his glass. "I would prefer someone else take care of those brats, however. The sooner this is over, the better. Hopefully my efforts now and in the coming years will clear my name enough to allow me a job without requiring Albus to protect me."

"Let us hope so," Tess agreed. "You are most certainly invaluable both in diverting suspicions of the Order and, in the coming months, playing spoiler in raids."

"If I may ask," he began, before Tess interrupted him.

"Of course you may. I am not your superior. Perhaps your general, but that does not imply you need to defer to me in conversation."

"What did you want to see me for? Last time you told me you didn't intend to reveal yourself with raids or anything yet, right?"

"And I still don't. This is about something else. You see, it has come to my attention that you do not instruct your students properly or grade them fairly. In particular, you seem to have it out for Harry Potter and, to a lesser degree, Neville Longbottom."

"It is not my fault those idiots cannot follow simple instructions. They deserve the marks they get."

"Oh? Tell me, what mark did Harry Potter get for the potion he brew earlier this week?"

"A zero."

"That is quite a damning mark, I agree. Why did he get a zero?"

"His potion was so bad I had to vanish it from his cauldron."

"He must have messed up quite badly, then. What did he do wrong?"

"He did not add syrup of hellebore after letting the potion simmer for seven minutes."

"What potion was he making?"

"Draught of Peace."

Tess nodded. "Yes, I can see how that would change the effects of the potion. What else did he do wrong?"

Severus remained silent.

"Or are you going to tell me he didn't do anything else wrong? Because surely one mistake like that, well, it won't be a perfect mark, obviously, but I do not doubt that Slughorn would have marked it with an Acceptable, or perhaps even an Exceeds Expectations if he were feeling generous. If a single mistake like that is enough for a zero, then surely you must have handed out quite a few zeros, correct? If I'm not mistaken, adding too little powdered mandrake root and stirring clockwise rather than counterclockwise after adding the moonstone, and then keeping it heated while adding the rat's tail is enough to brew a potion that explodes if it comes into contact with glass, and is even liable to set things it comes into contact with on fire."

Severus remained silent.

"Am I mistaken here, Severus?"

He opened his mouth, then closed it again wordlessly. Inwardly, Tess smiled at breaking his Slytherin mask.

"That wouldn't happen to have happened, would it?" she pressed. "Perhaps to a Slytherin, who then went on to get a higher mark than Harry Potter?"

"I do not know what you mean."

"Yes, you do. Mr Goyle performed abysmally during the lesson, and yet it is safe to assume that his mark, though bad, will not be a zero, simply because he handed something in. Meanwhile, Harry Potter made a single mistake, and though his potion would be of significantly lower quality than a properly brewed Draught of Peace, it would do it's job, most likely at the cost of some tiredness. I want to ask of you that you no longer let your personal opinion of your students cloud your judgement when grading their efforts in class. It is highly unprofessional."

"I would assume you have received your information from Potter," Severus said. "His words tend to be extremely biased and focused on painting himself in the best picture he possibly can. You'd be better off paying them no heed."

"As you know, Severus, I have been meeting him over the summer. Do you know why?"

He shook his head.

"Due to my failed killing curse when he was one year old, there exists a connection between our souls. Over the summer, I have been training him occlumency so he can either use or close this connection. I am able to do the same, of course. The information I have regarding your Potion lesson comes from me sharing his senses for the entirety of that lesson. That includes vision, hearing, touch, and even smell and taste. What I consider even worse, is that Harry told me to watch the proceedings before the lesson even started, because he _knew_, for a fact, you were going to treat him unjustly."

Severus, once again, remained silent.

"I expect your behavior in class to improve. I do not ask that you are a model teacher, or that you like all your students. I only ask that you grade them fairly and do not insult them during class, independent of the circumstances. Can you do that for however long it takes until this war is over?"

"You are not leaving me a choice, are you?"

"Would you not make the choice to become a better person?"

He sighed. "I will see what I can do."

"Very good. Then I will inform Harry of your decision."

For now, she let alone the matter of improving his lessons in general – for example by explaining why certain ingredients caused the effects they caused. This would give him enough to work on, and she could return to the topic later if she wanted. And besides, she did agree the man was simply not made for teaching, and would likely not remain at Hogwarts if he did not have to.

* * *

**AN: Fanfic recommendation time! Silently Watches' Eternal Fantasy plays in a video game-like world after **_**something**_** happened sometime in the 80s, and follows an adolescent Harry and Dudley (and Hermione) during their adventures in this new environment. It is currently 7 chapters in, and already has several hints towards the old wizarding world, implying it will continue to tie into that world. The writer also has a history of some six or so years of consistently updating and eventually completing high quality fanfics, so there is very, very low risk of abandonment.**


	12. Ch 11: The Shrieking Shack

**AN: As some of you may be aware, I uploaded the prologue of the new Recursion last week. For the coming weeks, I will switch back and forth between this story and Recursion because I suspect frequently switching helps me keep my writing speed up. If it doesn't work out, I will go back to focusing completely on this story. If it does… well, then it's simply more updates for y'all.**

**AN: The attention for this story simply continues to be mindblowing… Since the last update it's gained almost 100 follows and 50 favorites. Thank you so much everyone!**

* * *

**Chapter 11: The Shrieking Shack**

* * *

"I still don't think this is a good idea," Hermione said as Harry descended the stairs into the common room.

Harry shot her a flat look. "As you have repeatedly mentioned. If you had a boyfriend outside of Hogwarts you'd want to see him too, Hermione. It's Saturday morning, I'm doing quite fine with my homework—"

"Because she's doing it for you!"

"—and everyone's hating me for being an attention-seeking lunatic again, so it's not like I get to talk to anyone but you and the Weasleys. And no, Tess doesn't do my homework for me. She doesn't give me answers, all she does is explain the subjects and allow me to work out the answers myself. Which is the exact same thing you do if we ask you for help. I'll see you in a few hours, Ron, Hermione."

Without giving Hermione another chance to reply, Harry threw on his Invisibility Cloak and left through the portrait hole. He told Tess he was on his way and calmly strolled through the castle and over the grounds. A simple _Wingardium Leviosa_ on a branch calmed the Whomping Willow down and he made his way through the tunnel into the Shack, where he found Tess already waiting for him, examining some map. When he slid off his Invisibility Cloak, she immediately stood and pulled him into a hug, and he kissed her gently.

"Good to see you again, Tess."

She messed up his hair – not that she could make it any worse – and nudged him to a chair. "How has your first week back been?"

Harry shrugged. "You know most of it already, I suppose. Everyone's shooting me suspicious looks again, but it's not the first time this happened, and having your presence in my mind helps soften it a lot. I guess it also helps that it doesn't matter too much to me whether they believe me or not, because I know there's no real danger lurking out there. I think I would have a much harder time dealing with it if I felt like I was shouting real warnings to an ignorant public."

"And what about lessons? This _is_ your OWL year, after all."

"_Please_ don't start about that too," Harry groaned. "We got lectures about it from _every. Single. Teacher._" Tess chuckled. "I mean, apart from more homework it's not really any different from other years. Still same old boring Binns, Snape singling me out, and yeah, I guess the last two years I got used to good DADA teachers, but I doubt we're going to learn anything this year."

"I could teach you," Tess said. "I was already planning on giving you dueling lessons."

"To be honest," Harry said, "I'm not really that worried about Defense myself. I've always been top of the class, sometimes even before Hermione. I'm not sure how well someone like Neville would do, though."

Tess tapped her chin in thought. "You know, perhaps we could deal with both those problems at once, and to top it off we could give you something of your own to do, because if I've gotten to know you at all these past few months, you hate just sitting down and waiting."

Harry grunted in agreement at that. Even during his few weeks at the Order he'd already felt himself getting antsy because he wanted to _do_ something. And because he didn't have the enemy the Order had, he'd not even known _what_ he wanted to do. "What are you thinking of?"

"Well, Umbridge isn't going to teach the students anything," Tess said. "What if you would do it instead?"

"You mean – teaching, me? I've never taught anyone anything before."

"I don't think you need to be concerned. As you said yourself, you're really good at Defense, always have been, and beyond knowing the subject the only other important thing that's required for teaching is to understand your students properly. And if there's one thing you're a natural at, it's understanding others." She smiled. "If you're worried, I can help you out with it, but it'd be your thing. You'll be leading it, you'll decide which spells to teach, and so on."

Harry nodded slowly. "I suppose we could give it a try. I want to discuss it with Ron and Hermione first though."

"That's probably a good idea," Tess said. "Hermione could also help you out with organizing it all."

"Who should I teach, though?" Harry asked. "I bet Umbridge is going to do everything she can to stop it, so we'd have to keep it secret."

"Maybe it's best if you just feel people out. Look for people who don't buy into the Ministry's bullshit, bring up Umbridge's lessons, and so on. And you don't need to restrict yourself to fifth years, of course. Little Miss Weasley seems quite the fighter to me, for example."

Harry looked confused. "Why would that matter?"

"Two reasons. First, the fighters tend to be the ones that care about Defense the most, and are the best at it. Second, you'll have to sell this, and the easiest way to do that would be to claim the Ministry won't teach students to defend themselves against Voldemort and her Death Eaters, so you decided to teach them yourself. Again, that'll appeal mostly to the fighters."

"I guess that makes sense. By the way," he changed the subject, "something I've been wondering about… Where does the name 'Death Eater' come from?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Tess muttered, suddenly looking down and blushing slightly.

Harry weighed his options for a moment, then decided to continue with the image he'd imagined earlier. He'd probably pay for it. "I can't help but think it's the kind of name an emo teenage girl would come up with, imagining a vampire watching her from a dark corner of the room while she was fingering herself to sleep. You know, the sparkly kind."

"I _don't_ want to talk about it, okay?" Tess said, looking up with an intense gaze and what was _certainly_ a blush.

Harry chuckled and reached over to her, messing up her hair. "I love you anyway, Tess." He grinned. "Also, you look cute when you're embarrassed. I guess I have to embarrass you more often." He pulled her towards him and placed a kiss on her lips.

"Perhaps it's time for some practice duels?" Tess asked, a malicious glint in her eyes.

Harry ducked his head, but wasn't able to keep the grin off his face. "As you wish, m'lady."

* * *

After more than an hour of dueling - which, unsurprisingly, had started with some severe beating-downs - Harry had suddenly found himself victim of a spell that vanished all his clothes, upon which Tess had declared the dueling over and transfigured the table into a nice, soft bed.

It had taken Harry quite some time to find his clothes again in the corner of the room, though he had to admit he had been a little preoccupied, but as he was pulling on his trousers (and watching Tess put on her own clothing) another matter suddenly entered his mind.

"Tess?"

"Hmm?"

"Last year, I had a crush on this girl, Cho Chang, I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned her?"

"I don't think so," Tess said, "but Cedric has told me about her. I believe she was his girlfriend?"

Harry nodded. "She was. I'd asked her to the Yule Ball though, so she knew I was interested in her, at least at the time, and, well… This year, she's been looking for me several times, and trying to get me alone and… well, I think she hopes she can build a relationship with me, but I can't, because I already have you, and I also hope she can get back with Cedric, because I can tell how sad she is about his supposed death."

Tess nodded. "I see the problem. I know Cedric misses her as well, and he's worried she will be with someone else once this is all over. Perhaps… perhaps we can give her a partial truth."

"What do you mean?"

"We'll tell her that Cedric is alive, and have her meet Cedric – during a Hogsmeade weekend maybe? – but we won't go through the effort of getting her on board with the entire thing."

"Won't she have a lot of questions?"

"We'll tell her we can't answer all the questions she has. And, of course, that she has to keep it a secret. I'll also see if I can find something that allows her and Cedric to stay in touch."

"Then I suppose I should seek her out sometime. What should I tell her? I mean, I can't exactly act like I'm asking her on a date when I already have a girlfriend and I'm going to have her meet up with her supposedly-dead boyfriend. But I also don't even know if she believes the story about the graveyard."

"I'll help you figure that out, and I'll also coordinate with Cedric to make sure he doesn't give too much away."

Harry looked around the room, wondering whether there was anything else to talk about or if it was just time to go.

"Is that everything we have to discuss?" he asked.

"I think so," Tess said. "Though there is the horcrux that I hid in the castle, but that can wait for a bit."

"Where is it hidden?"

"In the Room of Requirement, I'm not sure if you've ever heard of it?"

Harry shook his head.

"It's a room on the seventh floor of the castle which can become any room you want it to be. I think it might also be a good place for the Defense lessons, so I'll have to explain you where it is anyway, and when you go there you might as well take along the horcrux."

"So where on the seventh floor is it?"

Tess chuckled and stepped forward for a quick kiss. "It's probably easier if I just give you the directions when you are walking through the castle, isn't it?"

"I guess you're right." He wrapped his arms around her, once more staring deep into her eyes. He hoped no one would ever force him to make such a hard choice, but if he absolutely had to name one part of her appearance that was the most beautiful, it would be those grey eyes. Who knew a color so supposedly flat could be so gorgeous? "I missed you this last month, Tess."

She pressed her lips against his again. "Then we'll have to meet up more often. Why don't we see if we can make this a weekly thing?"

Harry chuckled. "If Hermione lets me get away with it, gladly."

"That's up to you. What's she going to do? Tell McGonagall that you're sneaking out to snog Lady Voldemort?"

Harry laughed. "I suppose that would be a little far-fetched even for what normally goes on in my life. And don't ask me what it means that it's the truth."

"It means you're in dire need of a break. We'll get you one, Harry. I'd say, enjoy the rest of your weekend."

He gave her one last kiss, told her goodbye and walked back through the tunnel, putting on his Cloak.

* * *

"Ron, Hermione? Could you please go ahead?"

"What for?" Ron asked.

Harry gave him a Look. "Please. I'll be with you in a few minutes."

Hermione shot him a suspicious glare before walking along together with Ron, and Harry turned to Cho, who blushed now that they were standing alone in the corridor.

"Well, I guess I should best get straight to the point," Harry said. "Uhm, first of all though, can you please give me a promise that you'll let me finish?"

Cho looked confused. "Okay, I guess."

"I want to invite you to come to Hogsmeade with me, but," he held up his hand, "it's because there's something I want to tell you, and show you I suppose. That something is also the reason I don't want you to think it's like, a real date, because, well…" Harry trailed off, uncertain how he should continue, and noticed Cho was near crying.

"Cho!"

She looked him in his eyes. "You m-mean…"

"No, please, I don't mean it like that, it's just… well, I know something you don't, which is what I want to tell you about in Hogsmeade, and I think that, if you know it, well I don't want to say you won't want to go on a date with me, but I do think you would, well, I think you might change your mind, and it's because of something you'll be happy about, but I don't think you would want it to be a date."

"How do you know what I want? I… I thought you liked me, Harry…" She started sobbing.

Feeling awkward, Harry reached over and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Last year, I did, but…" He sighed. "Look, I… I wanted you to come to Hogsmeade with just me because of what I want to tell you, but I didn't want you to mistakenly think it's a date, and I tried to tell you in a way that wouldn't hurt you too much. I guess that didn't work, I'm sorry. But I'm absolutely certain that you'll be very happy with what I will show you, even if I can't tell you about it right now."

"And why can't you tell me right now if it's so important?"

"Because I can't _just_ tell you. I have to _show_ you, and I can't show you here in Hogwarts."

"So then tell me now and show me in Hogsmeade?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I couldn't show you. And that doesn't have anything to do with you. I doubt anyone would."

Her eyes narrowed. "Harder to believe than about last year with the Triwizard Tournament and…" She choked down a sob. "And Cedric?"

"Its… Do you believe what you heard about that?"

She studied him for a few seconds. "I thought I did, but now I'm wondering how well I really know you…"

Harry momentarily closed his eyes. "If I'd wanted to lie to you, Cho, I could've just asked you to come with me as a date, and you'd have believed it, right?"

She nodded hesitantly.

"So can you believe that I'm only not doing that because I want to be honest with you?"

"I… suppose…"

"Then please, trust me when I tell you I honestly believe that you will be very happy with what I want to show you. I even think… I can tell how broken you are about Cedric, and I think this might go a good way in getting past that." Crap, that didn't come out the way he'd wanted it to. "And, to be clear," he added, "it's not actually something that has to do with me, even if I'm the one to show you."

She looked at him suspiciously again.

"Please, just accept it. It's… I really, really want to just tell you, but I can't. I'm really sorry, I know I sound confusing and perhaps even crazy. It's just this. It's not even all that long. Should be done in half an hour after getting there, if not less. Then you can spend your time with your friends or with… Then you can spend your time however you want."

"I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, but I'm telling my friends you want to show me this 'something'."

"Actually," Harry said, "I'd rather have that your friends don't know about this. Well," he quickly amended, "they can know that you come with me, but I don't want you to tell them _why_. I'd prefer if you tell them that you're going with me on a date, and then afterwards you can tell them it didn't work out or whatever, doesn't matter to me."

He got yet another suspicious glare. "Okay. But if I don't like what you're doing you can be sure I will tell them afterwards."

"That's fine," Harry said. "I won't hold you to anything you say after the day. Look, we'll see each other then, right?"

She nodded, then walked off. Harry hoped he hadn't completely alienated her. Even if he didn't have a crush on her anymore – what with him having Tess and everything – he still hoped to at least have a neutral relationship with her.

* * *

Cho cautiously followed Harry through the streets of Hogsmeade. She'd liked him, but she wasn't sure whether she could believe the tale of You-Know-Who's apparent resurrection. But then, the Ministry's claim a lone remaining Death Eater had done it – and killed Cedric – didn't sound that much more plausible.

Harry turned towards her, seemingly gathering himself for a moment. "To be clear, what I'm going to tell you is absolutely secret. This is something that is currently known by… seven people, including me, and Dumbledore is not one of them. You might also have some questions that can't be answered, but you won't have to just take _my_ word for that."

Cho hesitantly nodded. "So what is it?"

"You've heard the short version of what happened at the end of last year. Me and Cedric got transported to a graveyard, Cedric got killed, Voldemort got resurrected, I fought her and escaped. There is one thing, however, that I haven't told Dumbledore, and therefore hasn't been spread, as I myself haven't talked about it much."

Cho almost turned around right then and there, when Potter basically admitted the story wasn't true. However, he seemed to want to tell her what _was_ true – or perhaps it would just be another lie, but that was something she could decide for herself. Because of that, she decided to at least hear the boy out. "So what is this one thing?"

"When we arrived," Harry said, "there was a woman there, who knew what was about to happen, but opposes everything Voldemort stood for. She couldn't stop the resurrection, but she did save Cedric's life and faked his death so he could help her fight the Death Eaters without causing suspicion."

Cho stared at him in disbelief, until suddenly, she broke and started sobbing. How could he do this to her? Lead her along with his lies, make her believe there was something good, something that could make her happy, and then tear it all down like this? Potter tried to talk to her, but she ignored him and turned away. Suddenly, he grabbed her and pulled her along, and she was fumbling for her wand when the words he said got through to her.

"He's right here!"

She looked up, drawing her wand out of her pocket… And through her tears, she saw _him_.

"H-how?" Could it really be him? Or was this part of the trick Potter was playing on her?

Cedric stepped forward and brought his arms around her, holding her close to his chest, and she cried as she realized that yes, it was him indeed.

He held her for what must have been at least five minutes before the tears subsided, and again she asked the same question.

"How?"

"As Harry will have told you," Cedric spoke softly, "my life was saved by a woman fighting against blood supremacists, but we had to fake my death to stop them from becoming suspicious. I'm sorry Cho, I've missed you so much these last few months."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier then? Why now?"

"That would be because of me," Harry said. "When I noticed you were trying to strike up a relationship with me, while I knew Cedric was alive… Well, I reached out, and we decided to get you into contact with him."

"You… you did that for us? Even though you…" she blushed. "Even though you showed interest in me last year?"

Harry gave a very light smile, but his eyes shone with happiness as he spoke. "This is just as secret as Cedric being alive, but I got myself a girlfriend over the summer."

"Who?" Cho asked.

Harry chuckled. "Secret. Not telling. As far as the world is concerned, I'm still single."

Well, it had been worth a try.

"So who is this woman who saved you?" she asked Cedric. He was here. He was alive. She would have to thank this woman profoundly when she met her.

"Something else we can't disclose, I'm afraid," Cedric said, gently trailing his thumb through her hair. "There are a few very secret things going on here, and me being alive is really the least of them. I'm currently being trained by this woman, almost every day, for when the war really breaks out." Cedric looked to Harry. "Do we have any idea how long that's likely to take?"

"Voldemort is trying to drag out her time," Harry said. "As long as the ministry refuses to acknowledge she's back, she can continue working on her plans without having any kind of time limit, so it may very well take several more months."

Cho gave him a confused look. "If Cedric is training with this woman every day, while you are in Hogwarts, how come you know more about You-Know-Who's plans than him?"

"Again, can't say," Harry said, grimacing slightly. "I'm afraid almost every question will have that answer."

Cho nodded. "So… what now?"

Harry grinned. "Now, you get to spend the rest of the day catching up with Cedric. There's three things, though. First, once again, don't tell anyone what we discussed here or that Cedric is alive. Not even your best friends. Second, Cedric should have something that allows you to talk to each other from a distance, right?"

Cedric nodded. "Small books that show what's written in the other one and then clear the ink."

Harry snorted. "I know where she got _that_ idea from. Anyway, third and last… Umbridge isn't going to teach anything in class, so with the war that we know is coming, I've decided to start a secret study group for Defense. Do you want to join?"

Cho nodded enthusiastically.

"Good," Harry said. "I'll seek you out in the castle when we're ready to start, which shouldn't be too long. Have a nice day, I'm going to find Ron and Hermione."

Cedric snorted. "Sure you are."

But he refused to tell Cho anything about it when she asked.

* * *

**AN: So. Yeah. I'm not sure what it was this last week, but I simply **_**could not**_** get any writing done. My apologies for the long wait, I hope future updates will be quicker. I blame Cho; the two scenes where she appeared were really hard to write for some reason. Next chapter: The first meeting of the DA and a big surprise. Though, in hindsight perhaps not so big. And we'll see the timeline quicken some more; it will be the last chapter before the Christmas holidays.**

**AN: I'd almost forget, but it's time for another recommendation. This time, Power is Control by Rikuriroxa. The premise of the fic is a little bland (Emily (fem!Voldemort) is extremely attracted to Harry due to her horcrux inside of him) but the characters are portrayed very well and Emily isn't willing to abandon her objective of ruling Britain just because she feels like a drug addict suffering from withdrawal if she can't be close to Harry. Year 5 is complete and though the sequel (summer and year 6) earlier seemed abandoned with no updates since January, it got several just last week.**

**AN: I blatantly stole the Death Eater name origin joke from Gloweye.**


	13. Ch 12: Dumbledore's Army

**AN: I'm back! (and sorry for the host of updates in ANs) As I also mentioned in a profile update and the two or so one-shots I uploaded over the past month (be sure to check them out!), I was getting used to my new medication, which made it hard for me to focus on a single thing like continuing an in-progress fic, or even at times writing in general. I'm slowly (sorry, not so slowly, typed this AN and then wrote the entire chapter in a single day) getting back into it now.**

**AN: And as for **_**what**_** will update and **_**when**_**: When I posted the new Recursion prologue, I thought I was almost ready to start writing the entire thing, but that's not the case, so I'm putting it on hiatus. I'm also at this time uncertain how much I will be able to write during the next month and a half due to holiday plans. This might range from barely being able to write at all to getting a chapter out every few days.**

**AN: Also, I updated the tags of the story to Humor/Romance, as the lack of an antagonist means there's not too much adventuring going on. Which I really should've realized earlier, but I started this fic quite impulsively. I also intend to do a rewrite one day, but that will probably be several years into the future, and definitely not before I've finished this.**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Dumbledore's Army**

* * *

"It looks like everyone is here," Harry said, counting the students.

"Where are we?" Dean asked.

"This is the Room of Requirement," Harry replied. "I learned about it recently, it can turn into basically any room you want it to be. In this case, I've asked it to become a room fit for learning Defense."

"We hid here once when Filch was chasing us," Fred said. Or George, but Harry always just called the first one that drew his attention Fred. He was pretty sure the twins didn't know who was who, either, so it's not like it mattered.

"That's… interesting," Harry said, unsure how to reply. "So, uhm. Are there any questions, things to be discussed, or can we just start?"

"We need a name," Hermione said.

Immediately, people started shouting various idea. After letting creativity run free for a bit, Harry held up his hand to get everyone to quiet down again.

"While I agree that a name like Anti-Umbridge League is entertaining, it would make it hard to discuss this group in public. So perhaps a more neutral name?"

"The Defense Association?" Cho proposed. "Or DA?"

"That could work," Harry agreed.

"DA sounds good," Ginny said, "but let's make it stand for Dumbledore's Army, because that's what the Ministry is afraid of, right?"

Tess sent waves of amusement through the link, while Harry had to strengthen his shields to keep his face straight. If only they knew who was helping him out…

"Yes," he agreed, meeting Ginny's eyes (the girl clearly knew what she had proposed), "that would have a nice irony to it. We'll call it Dumbledore's Army." On Tess's prodding, he made an amendment. "_But!_ We only call it that within the confinement of this room. When we're discussing the DA elsewhere, we'll instead call it DA or Defense Association. If Umbridge finds out we're doing this, we don't want to make her work easy for her."

Hermione wrote the name (Defense Association; it could become evidence) on the member list as Harry surveyed the group of people once again.

"I believe it would best to keep this first lesson simple," he announced. "Most people here will probably have learned it in class, though I can't be sure considering we've had teachers like Lockhart and Quirrell, but let's start with _Expelliarmus_, the disarming charm."

"Oh, _please_," Zacharias Smith said, rolling his eyes. "I don't think _Expelliarmus_ is exactly going to help us—"

"_Expelliarmus_!" Harry shouted. Smith's wand arced through the air, landing in Harry's free hand. "You were saying?"

"That wouldn't work against You-Know-Who!"

"Probably not," Harry admitted. "But setting your sights on out-dueling Voldemort is… ambitious. I can know; I've tried." Upon his request, Tess quickly provided some examples. "Unless you can wordlessly cast flame whips, bombardment curses, aegis shields and other spells like that, running should be your first priority. _Expelliarmus_, however, is the perfect spell for getting the drop on someone, also because it's low power requirement makes it easy to cast silently, which is something that, I believe, is taught in sixth year." The various sixth years nodded at that.

"On top of that," Harry repeated Tess's addition, "it is far easier to learn spells if you already know easier spells. If you can duel with spells like _Expelliarmus_, _Stupefy_, _Impedimenta_ and so on, adding a new spell, say _Confringo_, is much easier than when it's the only spell you know. Not that we'll be practicing spells like that until everyone has mastered the _Protego_ shield, but you get the point.

"Anyway, let's just get to practicing, shall we?" Harry threw Smith's wand back at him, then showed off the wand movement for _Expelliarmus_. He quickly went over the incantation, then told the students to divide themselves in pairs, he himself ending up with Neville.

After a few practice rounds with the boy, he told him to continue practicing with Ron and Hermione and instead started making rounds to correct other people's mistakes.

"You're not quite getting the incantation right," he told Hannah Abbott. "It's expelliar_mus_. Not -ius." He watched her cast the spell again, and this time Susan Bones' wand flew towards her and clattered on the ground. Harry accepted the thanks and returned the wand before moving on.

_Wait_, Tess interrupted.

_What?_

_Miss Weasley over there_.

Ginny shot an _Expelliarmus_ at Luna Lovegood, who was knocked back into a convenient pile of cushions. On Tess's prodding, Harry walked over to the redhead and repeated the words Tess gave him.

"The pronunciation and wand movement are both good, but you're exaggerating the wand movement a little and you put too much power into the spell. Stay focused and calm."

When Luna had her wand back, Ginny cast the spell again, and this time Luna wasn't knocked back. Ginny smiled at Harry in thanks while Luna kept her eyes on Harry as he moved to Ron.

"You're swaying a little when you're flowing from the wand movement to the aiming," Harry said. "After you've finished the form, make sure to point exactly where you want the spell to go."

He watched his friends for a little before Tess prodded him forward again to Neville. Again, Harry repeated her words to the struggling boy.

"The pronunciation and wand movement itself is good, but you're being a bit too careful. A little more power into your voice should help put some force behind it, and don't be afraid to harm anyone, it's just a disarming charm. Just focus on the spell itself and what it should do."

The entire lesson continued just like that, until Tess reminded Harry of the time and he called for everyone to stop.

"One last thing I want to show you all today. I'll need a volunteer." This was another thing Tess had come up with.

Ron almost immediately stepped forward, and Harry pointed to a place in front of a pile of cushions.

"Please stand there and keep your wand at the ready. We'll have someone count down and as soon as they're done, you cast an _Expelliarmus_ at me."

Hermione counted down from three and Ron shouted "_Expelliarmus_!" as Harry went for another spell:

"_Stupefy_!"

Before Ron had finished his incantation, the stunner was already flying through the air and hit Ron in the chest, sending him into the pile of cushions while Harry dodged away from the disarming charm. He stepped forward and cast the revival spell on his friend before turning to the group.

"What did you learn from this?"

"Stunners are better than disarming charms," Smith said immediately.

"You're not entirely wrong, but no, that is not what you should learn from this. Anyone?" It remained silent. "The disarming charm is five syllables. The stunner, on the other hand, is only three. If you start casting your spell at the same time, the stunner will release earlier. While casting a spell, it's hard to dodge. In a duel, or a fight, everything comes down to _time_. _Expelliarmus_ has it's uses, if you're surprising someone or occasionally in a duel if your wand is in a convenient position, but against a strong opponent, you're taking a risk if you use a spell with a long incantation. Now, _Expelliarmus_ is not too bad, with five syllables, but in combat situations you should avoid almost anything longer than it except if you can cast it silently.

"I'm not telling you this because the charm is useless – it's not, and we'll use it quite often in future lessons when practicing dueling. I'm telling you this because you should be aware that every spell has it's advantages and disadvantages. Once again, _Expelliarmus_ is best in surprise situations, or against opponents that do not have a lot of practice dueling. The better you and your opponent become, the less use you can get out of the spell." Tess – once again – supplied him with some more information. "It is also an optimal spell to use if you want to avoid any harm at all. Unless you're overpowering the spell, an _Expelliarmus_ does nothing to the caster, and only takes their wand, their weapon, away. If someone is trying to harass you, and you cast a stunner, they could claim you attacked them. If you cast an _Expelliarmus_, and nothing else? You clearly only wanted to take away their access to their wand, and had no intention to do anything to them. If your friend loses their calm? _Expelliarmus_, once again, is the spell to go to. You won't harm him, but you do stop them from attacking someone.

"Anyway, we're approaching curfew, so it's time to tie up the lesson and get back to our common rooms. Any questions?"

It turned out there weren't, and the students quickly started filing out while Harry asked Hermione and Ron how he'd done. After a minute, the room was almost empty, with only the trio remaining… and Luna.

"Was there something you wanted to ask?" Harry inquired.

She tilted her head slightly. "Who was the other person teaching?"

What?

_What?_ Tess said.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"The other person," Luna said, peering straight at Harry. "The one that occasionally overtook the instructions."

"What do you mean?"

"Your method of instruction changed completely at times," the girl said. "You correct people when they're doing something wrong, the other person instead tells them what they're doing right and how to change their mindset to improve the rest."

_I don't think I've ever seen someone that observant_, Tess said.

Luna's gaze moved upwards to the scar, then back to Harry's eyes. "You're also too cheerful for what you say happened a few months back…" Again, she tilted her head. "That's related, isn't it? I suppose it's something good, then." She tapped her chin in thought.

"You're… being kind of confusing," Harry said. Ron and Hermione wisely stayed out of the conversation, unable to make use of Tess's experience manipulating people.

"Sorry," Luna said absently. "Oh! I think I got it."

"Got what?"

"No," she said, disappointed. "Never mind, that would be crazy."

"What would be crazy?"

"Well, I thought for a moment that you'd be able to talk to You-Know-Who because you'd have a horcrux of her in your head, but then she'd have to have made several of them, which no one's ever done before, _and_ she'd have to have been preparing a ritual when she tried to kill you, or it wouldn't even have happened. And then you and she would have to be aware of it. I don't think such a coincidence would ever happen."

Harry stared at her slack-jawed for a full second before he (with Tess's help, not that she was much better off) pulled his occlumency shields together and adopted a neutral expression. Luna somehow didn't seem to have noticed.

"What's a horcrux?" he asked, trying to figure out how much she knew.

"A piece of your soul, torn off from your body through murder, stored in an object. The ritual needed to create one costs you part of your sanity, however. Also, if you were to die while having a horcrux, you would regain that sanity. I figured perhaps You-Know-Who had made several and had regained her sanity, and that something else happened after the third task than what you told people, but you having a horcrux of hers inside your head would be too much of a coincidence." She, again, tilted her head. "Am I right about the third task, at least?"

"How?"

"Hm?"

"How do you just figure that all out?"

"Oh, daddy has a book about horcruxes, I read it a few years back."

_Daddy has a book about horcruxes?_ Tess almost shouted. _What does she mean, daddy has a book about horcruxes?! Who just _has_ a book about horcruxes?_

"Well…" Harry trailed off. _Tess, do we tell her?_

_Probably for the best. I swear, this girl must be at least five tiers of insane to be able to correctly come to such a strange conclusion._

Harry couldn't disagree with that. "You actually got it all right," he told Luna.

"So what is she going to do?" Luna asked, appearing completely unsurprised.

"Long story short, she's trying to get the Death Eaters killed."

Luna nodded. "That sounds sensible. A lot of them went free after the war. I think you want me to keep this secret, right?"

"Uh, yeah, that would be good, thanks."

"Is she nice? You know, now that she's sane?"

Harry blushed. "Well, she doesn't try to kill me anymore."

"No, I wouldn't think so. Did you meet her more?"

He nodded. "Most of the summer, while she was teaching me occlumency so I could talk to her as well over the bond."

She tilted her head once again. "Is she your girlfriend?"

_Correction, seven tiers of insane._

Harry blushed deeper. "How did you figure that out?"

"You trust her, because you let her help with the lesson, you blushed when I asked if she was nice, and you called the link a 'bond', which implies it ties you together. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone that I know."

"Uh, yes, it would be very much appreciated if you'd keep this all to yourself. Well, uh, I guess we'd best get back to our dorms, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yeah, of course," Luna said, dreamily leaving for Ravenclaw Tower.

"Yes," Hermione said, her face red from stress from a conversation she didn't even partake in. "That's probably for the best."

* * *

Lucius Malfoy led the Undersecretary into Tess's room and quickly introduced her before leaving. Tess was, of course, wearing a glamour, and was currently sitting in an armchair next to a small table. Upon her gesture, Umbridge took a similar chair to sit down in.

"Madam Umbridge, I'm pleased to meet you," Tess purred. If only she didn't have to keep up the charismatic act…

"Thank you," Umbridge said. "Lucius said we had some interests in common, is that true?"

"Yes," Tess replied. "I heard you are a staunch supporter of blood purity and the segregation of werewolves and other half-breeds. Is that correct?"

Umbridge nodded. "Just two years ago they had a werewolf teaching at _Hogwarts_, can you believe that?" she spat.

Oh yes, Tess could believe that. From what she'd heard of the man, he'd been a great teacher, and if it weren't for certain prejudices, he'd still be teaching. "Sadly, I can," she told the toad. "Our society is not what it once was, don't you agree?"

"Most certainly," Umbridge said. "It's all because of that mugglelover Dumbledore, you know. He's poisoning our children with his nonsense. But at least now he's gone too far in his lies, and we can finally expose him for what he truly is."

Tess nodded. "You are a very influential woman, madam Umbridge, and you are someone who has her priorities straight. In other words, you are the kind of person we should build our society upon."

The woman beamed at the words. Oh yes, stroke that ego. Her kind always had more than enough ego to stroke. "Thank you for your kind words."

"Nothing but the truth. Now, to get to the reason I requested this meeting. Personally, I feel we are, as I said, letting society slip too far, and I want to change that. Are you willing to help me in this and take a more active role in the protection of our culture?"

"Of course," the woman said. "What do you need help with?"

"I am worried about the influence Dumbledore still has in the Ministry," Tess said. "Even now that he has been removed from his role as Chief Warlock, it is apparent that his propaganda still holds strong. More importantly, he has almost the entirety of Hogwarts under his thumb, with you as the lone light in the darkness. Are you willing to become my hand at Hogwarts and, when needed at the Ministry?"

"I would be delighted to work with someone with such pure ideals."

"It is a pleasure to hear that." They shook hands, and Tess managed to withhold the urge to wipe hers clean on her dress.

"I know that it is vital to keep one's identity secret when feeling out another's opinions," Umbridge continued, "but now that we have established a working relationship, may I ask after yours?"

For the first time this meeting, Tess gave a real smile, dropping the glamour as she spoke. "Of course. I am best known as Lady Voldemort."

"N-no. You can't be!" She scrambled back.

"I assure you that I am," Tess said. "Didn't we already establish that our goals align, madam Umbridge?"

The toad was now fumbling for her wand, which she had in her purse. The idiot. Yes, women's clothing didn't normally have pockets. That did _not_ mean you should put your wand in your purse. Rather, you should use a wand holster. Tess quickly slipped her own into her hand and trained it on the woman, who froze in fear.

"Will you join me to put the blood-traitors and mudbloods in their place?" she asked.

"I would never join a terrorist!"

"_Crucio_!" Tess didn't feel even a little bad for putting the abomination under the curse. After a few seconds, she released her. "Will you serve Lady Voldemort?"

She trembled for several moments, but then shook her head.

"Yes, you will. _Imperio_."

At least the reign of terror at Hogwarts was over. And Tess knew she had no qualms sending this woman to Azkaban – or perhaps her death – by the time this was all over.

* * *

**AN: And fanfic recommendation time! I read this fic sometime during the last two months. All According to Plan, by LysandraLeigh. Quite possibly the best fic I've ever read, and it's barely got more followers and favorites than The Advantages of Being Sane, which just makes no sense at all. It features a properly insane Bellatrix who at age 13 performs a time travel ritual and ends up 30 years into the future, in the world we're all familiar with, including an older Bellatrix currently sitting in Azkaban, and she ends up (where else?) in Harry's year at Hogwarts. Great characterization, great worldbuilding, great writing, and **_**damn**_** those two writers are fast. I swear, they write like 2k words per day or something ridiculous. Just now I checked while editing and they had **_**two**_** chapter updates of 10k words each earlier today. Seriously, drop everything else and go read it.**

**AN: Big thanks to feauxen for catching my accidental slip to first person halfway through the chapter! I blame my recent experimenting with first person stories.**


	14. Ch 13: Straight from Azkaban

**AN: This was supposed to be two chapters, but even though the first scene wasn't in the outline at all, everything ended up being significantly shorter than expected, so here you go, two chapters in one and it's still the shortest of the story so far. I have also taken another good look at the outline, scrapped and restructured a few chapters and am now looking at a total of prologue, 25 chapters and epilogue, with chapter 15 and 25 being super chapters that are two to three times as long as a normal chapter. I might also want to turn chapters 20-23 into three chapters instead, won't know before I write it.**

**AN: For the next week, I will be away from my laptop, which means no writing and definitely no updating. I won't even be able to read reviews etc until I'm back.**

* * *

**Chapter 13: Straight from Azkaban**

* * *

Harry threw on his Invisibility Cloak and made his way through the silent Burrow in the evening. The last two months almost nothing had happened at Hogwarts, ever since Tess had put Umbridge under the Imperius. Harry had been watching the woman's actions closely during the following days and even weeks, but if he hadn't known to look for something, he'd never have noticed the minute differences in behavior. She avoided confrontations in the most subtle way possible, and Tess had confirmed that when detention _did_ happen, it was nowhere near as bad as Harry's first one, but no one other than Harry knew the difference anyway.

Sadly, turning her into a competent teacher would have been far too big a difference, so the need for the DA continued. Harry had tried to adapt his teaching style to be more like Tess's (partly because she was simply the better teacher) but he wasn't sure how much it even mattered, as no one other than Luna seemed to have noticed anything at all during the various meetings. That girl continued to remain an enigma. She hadn't said a word to anyone, and was completely accepting of the change in circumstances, as if she had expected it all along – which she clearly hadn't, as she had thought her suspicion that had turned out true had been far-fetched. Which, Harry had to admit, it really was. Par for the course of his life, though.

In the present, he snuck past the ward line to find Tess just a few seconds later and immediately slipped off his Cloak.

"Merry Christmas, Harry," she told him before giving him a quick kiss.

"Merry Christmas, Tess. Thanks for coming here."

"I can't very well say no to an invite. It's the first time I get to spend my Christmas with someone else. Even if it's only a little bit."

Harry chuckled. He liked the Weasleys, but sneaking out during the day was most definitely not an option, even if he had Ron cover for him like he did now.

Tess cast a warming charm at him and conjured a couch for them both to sit on, then reached into her bag and pulled out a wrapped gift.

"I'm still working on a big surprise for your birthday, but for now I have a smaller present."

Harry accepted the package and tore the wrappings off, discovering a wand holster for his underarm and a set of well-crafted dueling robes with a number of protective runes. He raised an eyebrow at Tess.

"I thought I wouldn't have to fight anymore?" he teased.

"What?" Tess asked in far too innocent a voice. "Don't you want to help me out these next few years? Wherever you go I have an excuse to get Death Eaters killed."

Harry grinned and planted a quick kiss on her lips. "Of course I want to. Thanks, Tess." He produced his own present from his robes and handed it to her.

She snorted when she pulled off the paper. "You didn't."

"Charmed to have infinite pages," Harry said. "I figured you might want to write down a few things the coming years. What you're planning, things like that."

She gave the present – a diary, complete with "T. M. Riddle" engraved in gold letters – a good look.

"Besides," Harry added, "I'm the one who destroyed the last one, I owe it to you."

Tess smiled and brushed her hand through his hair in thanks. "You're right, it might be very useful. And I have no plans of turning _this_ one into a horcrux."

Harry laughed. "You better not make any new horcruxes, I much prefer you sane."

She laid her head on his shoulder. "So do I."

Harry rested his head on hers in turn and, for a few minutes, just enjoyed her closeness before she spoke again.

"I intend for the Azkaban breakout to take place in early January," she said. "Shortly after you're back at Hogwarts, most likely. The Hogsmeade weekend would be the third Saturday of January, right?"

"Yup. I suppose you just want to get it out of the way immediately."

Tess chuckled. "Don't you?"

"Of course I do!"

* * *

"Potter."

What the hell was Snape doing at the Burrow?

"Professor?"

"The Headmaster is concerned about the visions you received last year, and worries that the residue of the Dark Lady's curse has created a connection between you and her, and that she may become aware of that connection. In order to prevent her from taking advantage of that, he has ordered me to teach you occlumency."

Harry relayed that to Tess. He glanced around, realizing Mrs Weasley was in hearing range.

"I… I have a connection to her?"

"That is what the Headmaster says," Snape said.

_Just go along for now_, Tess said. _When you have your lesson with Severus we'll come up with a way to wriggle you both out of it._

Harry nodded hesitantly. "When will you teach me, professor?"

"Monday evening, six o'clock. Be there."

"Yes, professor."

* * *

Harry knocked.

"Come in," Snape's ever-cold voice said.

Harry warily slipped through the door and nodded. "Professor."

"You are here to learn occlumency," Snape said, "but as we both know, you have already been taught occlumency. The faster you ostensibly learn, the quicker I can tell Albus your training is sufficient."

"Actually, professor," Harry said, "Tess had the idea of telling Dumbledore I am a 'natural occlumens', with the theory that I would have subconsciously started learning occlumency when the bond became more active."

"Call it a link, Potter, unless you want everyone to know how you feel about her. As for her plan, it holds some merit, but I will need to check your shields in order to ensure they hold up if Albus wishes to test them, in particular because he may otherwise learn about your relationship with her."

Harry nodded and sat down, looking Snape straight in the eye. "I am ready."

"_Legilimens_."

A powerful barrage assaulted Harry's barriers, but he held until Snape let go after several seconds.

"You will not hold against an extended attempt," Snape said, "but this is realistically enough to delay and notice all outside intrusions. Very well, I will tell Albus I found shields already in place when I started teaching you, and that I suspect you started learning subconsciously because of the link. You may go, Potter."

"Thank you, professor." With that, Harry stood and left.

* * *

_Azkaban Prisoner Outbreak_

_Last night, a group of highly dangerous prisoners has broken out of Azkaban. Among them are notorious Death Eaters such as Bellatrix Lestrange, who was one of You-Know-Who's primary lieutenants during the last War, and Augustus Rookwood, who spied on the Ministry for years._

_Even in these dark days, however, there is some light to be found. During the escape, several of the escapees have lost their lives, Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange most notable among them. The body of Gregory Goyle Sr. has been found as well, as have those of several as of yet unidentified citizens. Currently, it is believed the outbreak has been orchestrated by the notorious Sirius Black, who escaped two years ago and has never been found. Though the investigation is still underway, officials have gone on record saying they believe Mr Goyle, along with a number of other people, has been put under the Imperius Curse by Sirius Black to force them to aid him in this outbreak._

_The Ministry…_

The article continued, but Harry honestly wasn't interested. According to Tess's report, six Death Eaters had lost their lives, while seven people (including Bellatrix) were broken out, meaning the number of Death Eaters remained unchanged while Bellatrix would be able to bolster their side. And the Death Eaters simply thought they'd had bad luck, so there were no suspicions.

"How certain are you?" Hermione quietly asked Harry.

"Even more certain than before, if that's possible," Harry said. "All of those six Death Eaters who died were killed by Tess personally. They could easily have gotten out without any losses. I'm not kidding you, security was rubbish if you keep in mind Tess controlled the dementors in the last war as well. There were four – _four!_ – human guards, and she easily took control of the dementors. She could have done it by herself if she'd wanted."

"So… we're doing it then?" Hermione asked.

"Next Hogsmeade."

"What are you talking about?" Ron asked.

"Confirming our plans for next Hogsmeade."

"Oh, that," Ron said, nodding.

"Are you planning something for Hogsmeade?" Neville butted in.

"We figured we wanted to explore the mountains behind it a little," Harry said. "Apparently there are caves there. Want to come along?"

"I… I'm not sure."

"Oh," Harry said. "Were you planning on something else?"

"Well… not really…"

"So come with us," he said, smiling. "Let's just have some fun and explore a bit, forget everything that's happening." He waved at the newspaper.

Neville nodded. "I'll come with you."

* * *

Neville blinked groggily as he woke up. Quite quickly, he realized that he was bound to something… a tree?

"Ah, you're awake," a female voice said. Neville took in his surroundings. He faced towards a large cauldron that had something boiling in it, and seemed to be in a forest clearing. Next to the cauldron stood two people. The first was a short, balding man who shuffled around slightly, as if confused or uncertain. He was a little pudgy, and Neville couldn't help but think of a rat when taking in his appearance. The other was a tall woman with black hair and pale skin who radiated confidence, and Neville immediately noticed just how attractive she was. Then, he saw her eyes, bright red, and if he had been able to, he'd have recoiled. As it was, he simply gasped.

"Who are you?" Despite the situation, he was proud of his voice not cracking.

The woman cracked a light smile. "You would know me best as Lady Voldemort. And I am going to need a little of your blood." She stepped up to him, and despite his attempts to pull back, she easily cut his arm and filled a goblet with his blood.

As she walked back to the cauldron, Neville started wracking his mind how he'd possibly ended up here. He remembered leaving Hogsmeade with Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Luna… and then nothing. Had they been ambushed? But by who?

"Bella!" Voldemort called out, and Neville was shocked when Bellatrix Lestrange, the woman who had tortured his parents into insanity, skipped into view.

"_Episkey_," a familiar voice suddenly said next to Neville, and the cut in his arm closed.

"H-Harry?" Neville whispered. "How… what's going on?"

The boy put a hand on his shoulder. "Sorry for the scare, but the ritual only works with unwillingly given blood. We've been keeping a few things from you."

Voldemort aimed her wand at Bellatrix and shouted an all too familiar curse. "_Avada Kedavra_."

With a surprised look on her face, Bellatrix fell to the ground, and a writhing black spirit departed from the body, wails emanating from it even as Voldemort trapped it in a magical cage.

"I'm so sorry, Bella," Voldemort whispered softly, then she barked at the other man. "Wormtail, get it done already!"

In the meanwhile, Harry sat down next to the shocked Neville, completely unconcerned.

"Long story short," Harry said, "Voldemort – originally known as Tess Riddle – had in the past performed a ritual that made her go insane. Almost dying when she attacked me returned her to sanity, and she's now trying to make up for what she has done during the war. What's more, she had taught Bellatrix the same ritual, and right now we're killing her and bringing her back, which should return her sanity as well. Oh, and one more thing, which would hopefully help convince you of their intentions, the use of your blood means Bellatrix's body will tether you to life, meaning you cannot die until she has died. The same holds true for me and Tess."

Somewhere during that, Neville's brain had shut down. In front of him, Voldemort was now forcing the spirit into the cauldron – a few items, including _Wormtail's right hand_, had been added in the meanwhile – and Harry slipped out a knife and started cutting away at Neville's ropes.

"I'm sorry," Neville said. "_What?_"

"Not everything is as it seems," Harry said. "I'm afraid I don't do as good a job explaining it as Tess does." He sighed. "Basically, when Tess became sane again, she decided she wanted to make up for what she'd done during the war, and she felt that the best way to do that was to weed out the blood purity sentiment because of how easily it can be used to start a war, like she herself had done. So her plan – of which this is the opening phase – is to act like she's still going like she had been, and then get the Death Eaters killed while they're performing tasks, like what happened at Azkaban. She liberated six Death Eaters, another six died, _and_ she broke out Bellatrix, who is in much the same situation as she was in."

As Harry spoke, the concoction in the cauldron started boiling, and the same woman who had just been killed by Voldemort – her body was still lying on the ground – rose up from the cauldron, completely naked. It became clear almost immediately that she was crying, her head held down, sobs escaping. Voldemort stunned Wormtail, then pulled Bellatrix out of the cauldron and put a cloak around her before pulling her close and caringly brushing her hair, whispering soothing words at the same time.

The last ropes were cut loose, and Harry pulled Neville up. "She still remembers everything she's done," he said quietly, "and if Tess is any reference at all, that means she's feeling absolutely horrible right now. I do think she'll want to apologize to you, however."

"A-apologize?" Neville looked over to the woman he'd hated his entire life. Voldemort whispered something in her ear, and suddenly Bellatrix looked towards him, then immediately cast her eyes to the ground.

"I'm sorry," she said, voice hoarse. "Neville Longbottom, I'm sorry for what I did to your parents. I… nothing can make up for what I did, but I will do my best to try. My Lady…" She looked towards Voldemort, who held up her hand to silence her.

"No, Bella, it's Tess for you. It's Tess for everyone who knows the real me. We're going to do what we can to make up for our mistakes."

Bellatrix glanced at Neville, then back to Voldemort. "How… how do you deal with it?"

Voldemort pulled her into a full hug. "Barely, but with a lot of determination. What's done is done, Bella, all we can do is make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Is that Harry Potter?" she asked.

Voldemort nodded. "I needed his blood for my own resurrection, and because of that I had to tell him."

"How did you make it up to him?"

"I can't, not ever. All I can do is be there for him, protect him, make sure he doesn't go through any more than he already has because of me. Give him safety, give him happiness, everything I can. He's a better person than I'll ever be, Bella."

"Has he forgiven you?"

"Yes," Harry spoke up, walking over to the two women. "Ever since her resurrection, Tess has been there for me, at any time of the day. She's helped me out more than once, and without her, I'm not sure how well I would be doing right now." He grabbed Voldemort's – Tess's – hand as he spoke.

Bellatrix turned back towards Neville. "I want to make it right by you. In whatever way it takes, however long it takes. I… I'm sorry, for taking away your parents. I will do anything I can, anything I can find, to try and bring them back. Please, please give me a chance."

Neville… just wasn't really sure of anything anymore at this point. In under an hour, his entire worldview had been thrown upside down. But he felt quite certain that, yes, she deserved another chance, so he nodded.

"Thank you!" Bellatrix exclaimed. "I'll do anything I can. For you and the others I hurt so badly."

"Neville?" Harry said.

"Yes?"

"Can you keep everything you've learned today a secret? Only me, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, Tess, Cedric, Snape and now Bellatrix know of this. Tess is particularly worried that Dumbledore wouldn't agree with her plans to get all the Death Eaters killed, even if they wiggled their way out of prison previously and might do so again. As I briefly explained already, the goal is to have them all die in the 'war' without having any other casualties."

Neville nodded. "I can do that. Can I ask you questions about it if there are things I want to know?"

"Of course," Harry said. "I'm always available. And if you want to ask Tess something you can come to me too, due to some quirks in magic we have a kind of connection between us and can talk to one another over a distance."

"So… what now?" Neville asked.

"Now," Harry said, "we're going back to Hogwarts, and we'll take Wormtail along so we can finally get Sirius exonerated."

"Sirius?"

"Sirius Black, my godfather who was convicted for the crimes committed by Wormtail." A smile appeared on Harry's lips as he lost himself in thought.

* * *

McGonagall gasped.

Harry couldn't help but smile at the look of shock on his Transfiguration professor's face. "We found someone, professor."

"…How?" she breathed.

"I saw him sneaking around Hogsmeade in rat form," Harry lied. "I immediately recognized him and managed to catch him."

She gave Wormtail another look. "What happened to his hand."

"Err…" Harry faked trepidation. "I initially shot a blasting curse."

McGonagall raised an eyebrow, but said nothing about it. "I will take him along to Dumbledore, so we can hand him over to the DMLE."

"Thank you, professor. Oh, and when Sirius gets his trial, can I come?"

"Of course, Mr Potter, we'll make sure to find a way to make that happen."

* * *

**AN: One last fanfic recommendation, I might start it up again at a later date. This time, I'll recommend OlegGunnarsson's Who Dares Wins, where Harry has been trained by a colonel to adopt a militaristic line of thinking. When he sees through the trap in the Ministry and he and his group kill half the Death Eaters and capture the other half (legally), it turns out Harry had a twin who was trained in secret and should eventually take over from Harry, and Dumbledore had attempted to switch them up in this very fight. Suddenly, Harry has to deal with parents, a twin, and a very manipulative Dumbledore. Upbeat writing style, strong Harry, simply an enjoyable story.**


	15. Ch 14: Trials

**AN: ****IMPORTANT:**** I got very excited about the possibility of getting another chapter out before leaving for a week, and in my haste I neglected to add two things to Bellatrix's resurrection scene. This has now been fixed. First, Harry now mentions the blood tethers Neville to life, and second, Bellatrix now says she wants to find a way to bring back Neville's parents.**

**AN: I thought not having my laptop along meant no writing… But my muse whacked me over the head and told me to stop being stupid. **_**Obviously**_**, not having access to a laptop just means I have to spend every free minute for six days in a row torturing myself by writing on my phone. Oh and then she also stowed some extra plot through my throat, but (probably deliberately) not enough for a full additional chapter, so instead you get a chapter-and-a-half at once and I don't get to end my chapter with a certain question Bellatrix asks (you'll see).**

**AN: Also, we passed 500 favorites, 800 follows and 50k views which… honestly, I can barely believe it. I still remember how I had a bad night while my thoughts kept churning about the idea that had been put into my mind the evening before, and the next day I wrote 5k words and uploaded a prologue without any real plans on how to follow it up. And now we're here, and on top of that I truly feel like this chapter is the best one yet. I'm amazed. Also amazed at the reactions to last chapter, I should add. So many great, insightful reviews!**

* * *

**Chapter 14: Trials**

* * *

The trials of Sirius and Pettigrew would be held at the same time. Officially, Sirius had just 'happened' to read the _Daily Prophet_ that reported Peter Pettigrew being alive, and had then sent an untraceable letter to the DMLE saying he was willing to be tried together with Pettigrew. That in itself had of course raised several red flags at the DMLE. After all, if Sirius Black, who had successfully evaded the authorities for more than two years now, was willing to turn himself in if he would be tried together with the man he supposedly killed…

As for Pettigrew, the only thing people knew was that he had been found by _someone_, supposedly in Hogsmeade, and had been handed over to Hogwarts staff, who had in turn handed him over to the Aurors with the warning that he was a rat animagus.

Sirius had received confirmation that he would first be tried if he brought himself in, as Pettigrew's survival showed the crime that had landed him in Azkaban without trial (caught red-handed in the murder of another wizard) clearly hadn't occurred. He was still a suspect for the murder of twelve muggles and the betrayal of the Potters, but neither crime had been proven in court, making his stay in Azkaban (and therefore the Kiss-on-sight order) unlawful. He had met up with Aurors Schacklebolt and Tonks the very next day at a 'neutral' location, and they had escorted him to a Ministry holding cell.

Today, the 2nd of February, was the trial. Unsurprisingly, Harry had woken up early and was almost bouncing through the dormitory with excitement. Everyone, from Tess to Dumbledore (who had stopped ignoring Harry now that he knew Harry knew occlumency), had assured him the trial was a done deal, but Harry still couldn't help but be nervous. That was, of course, understandable - the freedom of his godfather was at stake, and he hadn't been able to speak to him before everything happened.

It wasn't even 7 am when he couldn't contain his excitement anymore and went downstairs to the common room, where he ended up trying to play chess against himself until the others got out of bed and they all went to breakfast. After breakfast, he went along with McGonagall to her office, where he took the Floo to Grimmauld Place, where Remus was waiting to accompany him.

At 10 am, he was sitting in the visitor's gallery of the courtroom when the chained defendants were brought in. Sirius was grinning, while Pettigrew looked extremely miserable. According to Tess, he couldn't even remember how he got here - for safety, she had obliviated him of the events at Bellatrix's resurrection (he had already been obliviated of Tess' resurrection previously).

"We are here," Chief Warlock Amelia Bones announced, "for the trials of Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew, who are the suspects in two crimes, both committed in 1981. The first of these crimes is the betrayal of the location of the Potter family to the Dark Lady normally referred to as You-Know-Who or She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, leading to the attack that took place on October 31st, 1981 and the death of James Potter and Lily Potter-Evans. The second of these crimes took place the next day, November 1st, 1981, and concerns the murder of twelve muggles with an overpowered bombardment curse.

"It should be noted that, contrary to common belief, Sirius Black has never been incarcerated or even tried for these crimes. Rather, his incarceration was ordered on the grounds of his supposed murder of Peter Pettigrew, for which he had been caught red-handed - or so it was previously believed - and which allowed for incarceration without trial due to the wartime legislation that had been in effect at the time. With the survival of Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black is nothing but a suspect in a crime, and his past imprisonment in Azkaban is considered unlawful, though it may be applied retroactively if he is found guilty today.

"Now, we will move on to the case itself. Sirius Black has consented to the use of veritaserum and will therefore be tried first. Please dose the suspect."

The Auror with the veritaserum - Harry had no idea what his name was - stepped up to Sirius and dripped three drops of the liquid on his tongue. Immediately, his eyes glazed over.

"What is your name?" Madame Bones asked.

"Sirius Orion Black."

"What is your date of birth?"

"November 3rd, 1959."

"Were you the Secret Keeper of James and Lily Potter in 1981?"

The courtroom held its breath.

"No."

Whispers broke out across the room.

"If you were not the Secret Keeper, then why is it believed you were?"

"We thought it would be the perfect defense. Everyone knew James and me were like brothers, so I would tell people I was the Secret Keeper and people would come after me while the real Secret Keeper would go into hiding."

"Who was the real Secret Keeper?"

"Peter Pettigrew."

The chattering grew louder, and Bones waited a few seconds for it to die down before continuing.

"On November 1st, 1981, an overpowered bombardment curse hit a gas line, which caused it to explode and kill twelve muggles. According to reports, you were on site when this happened. Were you?"

"Yes."

"Why were you there?"

"I was tracking down Peter Pettigrew."

"Why were you tracking him down?"

"Because he had betrayed James and Lily to Voldemort."

"What were your intentions while tracking him down?"

"To either kill him or bring him in to the Aurors."

A collective gasp went through the court.

"Did you cast the bombardment curse?"

"No, I did not."

"Do you know who cast the bombardment curse?"

"Yes. Peter Pettigrew."

"Did you cast any spells, and if so, which spells?"

"Yes, I cast a _protego_ to shield myself from the debris."

"Did you cast any other spells while there?"

"No."

"When the Aurors arrested you, you have been reported to claim you killed the Potters, why is that?"

"Because it was my idea to switch Secret Keepers. If I hadn't proposed it, James and Lily would still be alive."

"Thank you. One last question. Are you, or have you ever been, a servant, informant, sympathizer or other ally or follower of the Dark Lady commonly referred to as You-Know-Who?"

"No."

The mutters started up again.

"Administer the antidote," Bones ordered.

The Auror moved forward again and did as asked. Sirius immediately perked up and continued watching the proceedings.

"The other defendant, Peter Pettigrew, has not consented to the use of veritaserum, and will therefore be questioned without. Both the prosecution and the defense may therefore call in witnesses.

"Peter Pettigrew, according to the testimony of Sirius Black, you were the Secret Keeper of James and Lily Potter and betrayed their location to You-Know-Who. Do you wish to refute this testimony, and if so, on what grounds?"

"I do, your honor," Pettigrew nervously replied. "Sirius was the Secret Keeper, and he's the one who betrayed the Potters, everyone knows that!"

"And his testimony?"

"He's clearly gone insane in Azkaban!"

"I don't know," Sirius said lightly, "but I don't exactly feel insane."

"Please do not speak unless allowed, Mr. Black," Bones admonished. "Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black's testimony says you killed twelve muggles with a bombardment curse. Do you refute this testimony?"

"Of course! He's the one that killed them, not me! I barely managed to save my own life."

"After this event, you disappeared from the magical world, remaining hidden in an unknown location until you were brought in by an anonymous party. Why did you remain hidden?"

"Because he was after me!" Pettigrew exclaimed, gesturing at Sirius. "I knew he was!"

"Your honor?"

"You may speak, Mr Black."

"While Peter was hidden, I was in Azkaban, and therefore of no danger to him or anyone, regardless of my motive. He hid because he knew I would have to be tried otherwise, and he knew the accusations wouldn't hold up, _and_ my trial would incriminate him."

"Thank you. Peter Pettigrew, do you wish to reply to this?"

"Of course he was a danger to me! We all know he broke out of Azkaban!"

"Thank- _yes_, Mr Black?"

"I was the first person to ever break out of Azkaban, meaning Peter had no reason to fear me doing so."

"Thank you. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak?"

All remained silent.

"Then I will now call for a vote. If you believe Sirius Black to be guilty, raise your wand."

All wands remained down.

"If you believe Sirius Black to be innocent, raise your wand."

A sea of wands rose.

"Sirius Black has been found innocent. The court wishes to apologize for his unlawful incarceration in 1981, and invites him to discuss the matter after the trial."

Harry jumped out of his chair and hugged Remus, who had been sitting next to him. The both of them were cheering loudly. Harry briefly gazed down into the court, and noticed Sirius's chains had fallen off, and their eyes met, causing the both of them to smile brightly. In the back of his mind, Harry heard Tess congratulate him. However, the trial was not quite over yet.

"If you believe Peter Pettigrew to be guilty, raise your wand."

Again, a sea of wands rose.

"If you believe Peter Pettigrew to be innocent, raise your wand."

All wands remained down.

"Peter Pettigrew has been found guilty of the betrayal of James and Lily Potter and the murder of twelve muggles. He will be stripped of his Order of Merlin and, in accordance to law, be sentenced to life in Azkaban for mass homicide and collaboration with a Dark Lady. Aurors, take him away." Two Aurors stepped forward and marched Pettigrew out.

With the trial over, Sirius rose from his chair and almost ran to the visitor's gallery, where he engulfed Harry in a hug, laughing broadly. Remus immediately joined in.

After several seconds, the werewolf spoke. "You're a free man, Sirius."

Harry looked up at him and grinned. "Are you crying, Padfoot?"

He enthusiastically shook his head. "Caught something in my eye, pup."

"Fourteen years…" Remus said. "We're going to have to celebrate this, Padfoot."

Sirius grinned. "Did Moony just propose to get drunk?"

Remus laughed. "If ever we had a reason… Come on, let's get to you-know-where at least."

"I have to meet with some stuffy officials first," Sirius said. "Reimbursement for unlawful incarceration and all that shit. A lot of arse-kissing. Shall we meet in the atrium?"

Remus slapped him on the back. "Sounds like a plan, I'll be there with Harry."

The rest of the day passed in a blur of celebrations with almost the entire Order, and by the time Harry returned to Hogwarts the _Evening Prophet_ had arrived to bring the news of the trial, so Harry was in for more congratulations and a Weasley-hosted (or, rather, twin-hosted) party in the Gryffindor common room because Harry officially had his godfather back.

* * *

The next day, Harry was just making his way through the tunnel to the Shrieking Shack when Tess entered his mind through the link.

_What is it?_ he asked, resisting the habit of kicking out the intrusion.

_Oh, sorry, I was trying to study the horcrux a little more._

_What of it? _

_Just testing a theory. Looks like I was right._

_About what?_

_I'll tell you later._ Harry could hear the smirk through the link.

Seconds later, he exited into the Shrieking Shack, where Tess was already waiting. Ever since he'd returned to school, she'd stopped using her glamour. At this point, the difference was that she looked a few years older, her skin was slightly pale, and her eyes were still red; other than those small tells there was nothing to connect her to the hairless imitation of a woman she had looked like at her resurrection. And honestly, Harry kind of liked the red eyes; it gave him a bit of a thrill even if they often shone with laughter, love or mischief. Perhaps the years of dangers had given him an adrenaline addiction?

He was so focused on his girlfriend it took him a moment to realize someone else was there as well - Bellatrix.

"Hi," Harry said awkwardly. "Uh, are we supposed to introduce ourselves still?"

"Hello," Bellatrix replied. "I guess it would be somewhat superfluous. Though I have gone back to using the Black name, as my associations with the name Lestrange are… not the best."

Harry nodded. "I can understand that."

"Well," Tess said, "I didn't invite Bellatrix over to discuss names. You both know what the problem is, it's time we work it out together."

"Yes," Bellatrix snarked. "You're going to drag us here together and throw us against each other until we give in and agree to form a threesome either because you're a pervert and a deviant or because you have control issues, I'm not yet sure which."

"That is _not_ what I was going to do and I do _not_ have control issues!"

"Actually," Harry said hesitantly, "Bellatrix does have a point, at least about what you were going to do."

"But I don't have control issues."

Harry shrugged. "Not that I noticed."

"Because, from what I heard, everything has been going according to plan so far," Bellatrix said.

Tess glared at her. "I do _not _have control issues."

"Whatever, then you're a pervert and a deviant. Point being, you want two strangers to meet each other and immediately happily start shagging just because you've been shagging both in the past and don't want to choose."

"Bella, I'm doing this for _you_."

"You're doing this for yourself, Tess. If you tell me 'no', hell, even if you tell Harry you're going back to me, there's nothing either of us can do about it."

"I'm not just throwing you away! Either of you!"

"Yes, that's kind of my point. If it weren't for the situation, Tess, and I _do_ understand your situation, this would just be cheating, you realize that, right?"

"I… what? I'm not cheating!" Tess spluttered.

"No, you're not," Bellatrix interrupted before she could continue. "I understand. I was in prison, insane, and you were out there, sane, with a body that screamed Dark Lady, and the desire to change that - something I couldn't have provided even if I _had_ been around. But that does not mean you're just entitled two relationships, Tess. That's not how this works."

"What are you trying to say?" Tess asked.

"What I'm trying to say is that you can't just expect me and Harry to take a single look at one another, give a nod that the other passed the test and start shagging each other's brains out. We don't know each other, we might not even get _along_."

"So what _then_ am I supposed to do?"

"How about at least introducing us to one another before trying to convince us to do this?"

"I can hardly introduce you to each other without mentioning it!"

"To be fair," Harry said, "you _could_ have just told us about the current situation and left it at that."

"This _is_ the current situation."

"No," Harry countered, "the current situation is that we _are_ in a relationship, while you _were_ in a relationship with Bellatrix before the end of the war."

Tess looked indignant, and when it remained silent she looked at Bellatrix. "Are you just letting yourself be put aside like that?"

"As much as I would like it to be different, he's right. We've been apart for almost a decade and a half, while you've been with Harry since summer now."

"You say you'd like it to be different. So let's change it!"

Bellatrix sighed. "Tess. Merope. Riddle. It's not that simple. Again, Harry and I don't even know each other. We don't know if we'll like each other. And even if we do, we might not like each other in the way you want. As much as I hate to say it - after all, you have already made clear who is the most important to you - I think you just have to choose one of us."

"But Bella, what about you then? I _know_ you're still working through your memories. You shouldn't be all alone, Bella."

"And why would I be? We can still be friends even if we're not sleeping together, Tess."

"But, I-"

"You don't want to let go. Tess, that's okay, I don't want to either. It shows you care about me. But I think this is the best for each of us. What do you think, Harry?"

"I… I don't know. I kind of feel like I'm in over my head," he admitted with a weak chuckle.

"So do I," Bellatrix comforted. "And I don't know if Tess adheres to the rules of normal human beings even while sane, but she _should_ feel in over her head too."

"I'm fine," Tess muttered. "If anything I'm just confused because of you."

"Yes, keep telling yourself it's just because of me."

Harry chuckled. "You _were_ a little overbearing."

"And how else would you get anything through _that_ skull?" Bellatrix asked.

Harry chuckled again at Tess's dark look. "Good point."

"You're supposed to be on _my_ side."

"I thought the entire point of this was figuring that out?"

Bellatrix laughed. "He got you there, Tess."

"Alright, fine. You don't want this. So then what _do_ you propose?"

"I'll come along the coming weeks and help instruct Harry with you, on the condition there are _no_ expectations from your side. I am not expecting anything to happen between Harry and me, to be honest. However, the more normal people I get to interact with, the better. Those Death Eaters are driving me nuts…"

Tess nodded. "That's fine by me. Harry?"

He nodded. "Sure. And if uh…"

"If we're performing extracurricular activities we'll get our own room first," Tess said, making Harry blush.

"I'd also want to meet Neville a few times," Bellatrix added. "There's so much I have to make up for with that poor boy, the least I can do is talk to him and try to help him grow up and be happy where I can. Whether or not I ever manage to help his parents."

Harry nodded. "I'll take him along."

"By the way," Bellatrix said, "I never dared to ask before, but where does the name 'Death Eater' come from?"

Tess groaned. "Not you too!"

* * *

"I got detention with Umbridge," Neville sighed as he sat down next to Harry in the common room.

"Why is that?" Harry asked.

"Malfoy was harassing a second year, so I taunted him so he'd try to go after me instead. Umbridge heard me."

Harry grinned and patted him on the back. "But you stood up against Malfoy, and that's what matters." He glanced around and continued in a softer tone. "About detention, I'll come along with you, I want to discuss something with you anyway."

Neville gaped at him. "You can't just come along to detention! Besides, I doubt you'll want Umbridge to hear whatever you want to discuss."

"Oh, right, you don't know about that yet." Harry lowered his voice to a whisper. "Remember how I got a detention from her in the first class? She forced me to write lines with a blood quill. That made Tess so angry she's put Umbridge under the Imperius so that she can't be too nasty to students. For us, it even means that we're free to do anything we want during detention because there's no need to keep up appearances."

"The _Imperius_?" Neville exclaimed (as much as possible while whispering). "But, that's…"

"The smartest way to go about it," Harry finished. "Umbridge is _evil_, Neville. She's a blood supremacist of the highest order, and she's here with the task to completely undermine me and Dumbledore for speaking the truth. The supposed truth, that is."

"But still… the Imperius…"

"Neville, Tess's goal is to _kill_ the Death Eaters. When this is over, half the Slytherins in our year don't have their fathers anymore, you know that, right?"

"Well, yes, I just didn't think, didn't… well…" He gestured somewhat aimlessly.

"Didn't realize it would get so close. I know, Neville. When I first realized Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Parkinson and the others would lose their fathers in the upcoming years, I felt shocked too. But you have to remember, Tess isn't doing this because of her or their ideas. It's because they are willing to kill others to bring those ideas in practice. If they don't die, others will, people who would never harm another human being. And the last war has shown they have the power to avoid Azkaban. It's this, or they find a new Dark Lord to start a war with and we're back to square one."

Neville nodded. "It still makes me sick."

"Me too, Neville. Look, we'll see each other with your detention, right?"

* * *

Harry followed Neville to Umbridge's office while under his Invisibility Cloak. The boy had been a little worried about losing Harry, but he'd assured him that, even if it happened, he'd find his way just fine. After a few minutes, they made their way inside. When the door seemingly closed by itself, Umbridge didn't even look up from the essays she was marking - nor did she when Harry appeared out of thin air.

"Uh, professor?" Neville asked, despite that.

"Just do whatever you need to," she told them with a voice that lacked the horrific sweetness it normally had. To emphasize her words, she made a vague gesture with her arm.

"See?" Harry said , taking a chair. "Anyway, now that we have some real privacy, for most of the year I've been meeting Tess on Saturdays."

"You're meeting her?" Neville asked with a slight frown. "Why?"

"Multiple reasons," Harry said. "She's been giving me occlumency and dueling lessons, and we also just like to-" he shrugged "-you know, just meet each other. We're in... something of a relationship." He wasn't about to say they had sex almost every meeting (even if that was perhaps his favorite aspect of said meetings).

"Wait," Neville said, trying to process the situation. "You're in a relationship with _You-Know-Who_?"

"Voldemort," 'Umbridge' admonished. "Just say it. And is it that hard to believe, Mr Longbottom?"

Harry glared at her. "Don't you have something better to do than listening in on our conversation?"

"I am quite able to listen in while doing something else."

"Anyway," Harry said, "we're going off-topic. Yes, I am in a relationship with Tess Riddle, who is _not_ Voldemort, not really. Tess is sane, Voldemort was not."

"But why?" Neville asked.

Harry shrugged. "It kind of happened. At the graveyard, she found out that there exists a connection between our minds - I won't bore you with the details - so she started teaching me occlumency over the summer, and during those weeks of talking, digging through each other's memories and everything…" He shrugged again. "As I said, it kind of happened. And then I didn't want to go for months without her, so we figured out a way for us to meet."

Neville rubbed his head in his hands. "Sorry," he said, "I need a moment to process that the Boy-Who-Lived is in a relationship with You-Know-Who."

"To get back to what I meant to discuss - or we, really -, Bellatrix was there as well two weeks back because there were some things we needed to work out, and she asked if I could take you along because she wants to get to know you."

Neville frowned. "And why should I want to meet her?"

"She wants to help you out Neville, with whatever problems you may have. And she wants to be there for you, help you be happy."

"I don't want to meet her."

"Let me tell you a story, Neville. Last summer, Tess's resurrection went much like Bellatrix's resurrection last month, only without anyone to back up her words to me when I was in your position - and of course she didn't have a body just before that, unlike Bellatrix.

"Still, she… kind of convinced me. Enough, at least, that I didn't tell anyone what had actually happened, and also enough that I agreed to meet her because I figured that if she'd have wanted to kill me she would've done so already, and she _did_ promise to teach me to shield my mind from the link between us, which I figured was a good thing to know regardless.

"So she started teaching me occlumency. First, she mostly send wandless legilimency probes at me to teach me the basics, but after some time she switched to a different method that allowed me to learn faster, but it also delved much deeper into my mind, dredging up unpleasant memories. At one point, she almost came across a memory I absolutely didn't want her to see, and I tried to push her out so hard I accidentally stumbled into her mind and _her_ worst memories instead. And I experienced one memory I will never forget.

"It's the memory of the moment immediately after her killing curse rebounded and killed her old body, the moment she regained her sanity and saw, with a clear eye, everything she had done. It was… overwhelming, Neville. I don't really know how to describe it. But the pain, the regret… That was the moment I knew with complete certainty that Tess wasn't leading me along, and was truly honest with me. I can only imagine that Bellatrix felt, and still must be feeling, that very same cocktail of emotions. I don't think she cares about anything other than making it up to you and the other people whose lives she's ruined right now, Neville, and she probably won't for quite some time longer. Please don't deny her the chance to make amends."

Neville remained silent for the larger part of a minute. Finally, he nodded.

"I'll come along. When do you meet her?"

"On Saturday, we'll leave under the Invisibility Cloak."

* * *

"Hi Tess," Harry briefly embraced the red-eyed woman who Neville did consider somewhat unsettling, but he _had_ promised to join them today. His gaze quickly drifted towards the last person present. Bellatrix Black. Who didn't seem to have the courage to even meet his eyes for more than a moment.

"Harry said you wanted to meet me?" Neville asked after a few seconds of awkward silence.

"I did," Bellatrix said. "I've taken away so much from you, and I want to try to give something - anything - back. Just… well, apart from the researching your parents thing. I'll give that all I have, but even with my experience in the mind arts I don't know if I can achieve anything the healers at St Mungo's couldn't in fourteen years."

"So what is it you want to do?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. Whatever you need."

"I can't think of anything I would need, and even if I did I don't think I'd ask you."

"What is it you enjoy spending your free time on?" Bellatrix asked.

"Herbology," Neville answered immediately.

Bellatrix gestured for him to sit down as she pulled up a chair herself. "I took a NEWT in that, but it's been two and a half decades. Why don't you bring me up to speed?"

Neville reluctantly started talking, discussing many of the more recent developments, newly discovered properties, and more. Despite the sheer ridiculousness of the situation, he quickly found himself enjoying Bellatrix's company. She clearly hadn't ignored the subject after graduation, and had in fact kept up with new breakthroughs when possible. At some point, she told him her passion had always been with the 'softer' side of magic; herbology, potions, the human mind, anything that dealt with many divergent possibilities that simply couldn't all be quantified. She even told him that before she went insane, she'd had an interest in muggle sciences like chemistry and psychology, which shared the same impossibility of ascertaining all outcomes, and that she intended to pursue them more now that she could.

Harry and Tess, in the meanwhile, had made their way to an adjacent room to practice dueling. After some time, however, Neville noticed there weren't any spells sounding anymore and he frowned.

"What are they doing over there? I don't hear them anymore."

"Don't ask questions you don't want answered," Bellatrix told him.

"What do you m- oh, _wait_," he shook his head as he blushed a deep red, causing Bellatrix to erupt in genuine laughter, though she soon reigned it in.

"Sorry, it's just… the look on your face was so funny. That's what people in relationships _do_, Neville."

"It's my dorm mate - the _Boy-Who-Lived_ with _You-Know-Who_ over there," he muttered, still feeling embarrassed.

"Yes, and you - Neville Longbottom - have spent the last hour or so casually chatting with Bellatrix Black, formerly Lestrange."

Neville muttered something intelligible, but was then distracted by a very intriguing question from Bellatrix on potions. The way she talked about the subject, with such passion, not to mention the similarities and relations with herbology she pointed out all the time, were very quickly changing his opinion on the subject. It really _was_ quite comparable to herbology. In fact, one could argue they were different aspects of the same field, with herbology providing the basis for potions. And that was before going into the biology Bellatrix knew, which significantly influenced herbology, but had its roots (no pun intended) in chemistry… which in turn was very similar to potions.

When the time came to go back to Hogwarts, Neville had to admit it had been a very enjoyable meeting, and despite his initial reservations he himself had proposed to meet up again next week.

* * *

**AN: The next chapter will be the superchapter which is just shy of 8k words and will be uploaded Tuesday evening European time (roughly 48 hours from this upload). After that, back to normal 3-4k words chapters. Probably. I might have to fight my muse on that, but I hope not.**

**AN: I know I said I was stopping the fanfic recommendations, but I actually have one more: Departure from the Diary by TendraelUmbra, where the fem!Riddle from the diary finds the horcrux in Harry's scar and fuses with it instead of draining Ginny's life because that way she doesn't have to leave bodies behind… So now Harry has to deal with a teenage Dark Lady in his head trying to convince him to just murder the problem (whatever said problem may be). Will eventually be Harry/fem!Riddle.**


	16. Ch 15: The Ministry

**AN: The superchapter! Enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter 15: The Ministry**

* * *

Harry paced in front of Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna and Neville in the Room of Requirement the day before exams started.

"This will be dangerous," he said. "Yes, the Death Eaters will be under strict orders, even threat of execution, to not use anything lethal or irreversible, but if one of them slips up or conveniently forgets when their numbers start to dwindle, _a single curse can be enough_. And if you're dead, it doesn't mean _crap_ that Tess will kill them. If you don't feel up to taking the risk, then don't come along. No one will hold it against you."

"Harry," Ron said, "we know the risks. Unlike others, we also know what's truly going on. Someone has to do this, and Tess has a good arguments to give those orders in regards to us. Besides, we will have her helping out, right?"

"And Bellatrix," Neville added. The boy came along every Saturday and greatly enjoyed the academic talks he had with Bellatrix, and slowly those talks had branched out to other interests and a somewhat strange friendship. However, the best part about it all, in Harry's opinion at least, was Tess's pout (Tess: "I don't pout!") at Neville taking up all of Bellatrix's time. The longer it took, the more Harry realized Bellatrix had made the right choice back at their first meeting. For all of them.

"I still think you two are strange," Ginny muttered.

"Think diary Tess, but without the soul sucking and megalomania," Harry said. "Does that explain it?"

Ginny grunted something. "How come the diary _was_ like that, actually? I thought you said she didn't let out the basilisk with the actual intent to harm back then?"

"She altered the soulpiece in the diary to align to her goals better when she changed," Harry said. "But we're getting off-topic. Yes, Tess and Bellatrix will be there, but Bellatrix has to keep up her Death Eater act, and Tess can't give away there's an invisible person around. She's been practicing some special tricks for larger fights, but that's tiring even for her, she can pull off two or three at most, in particular if you keep in mind she'll have to save her strength for an inevitable confrontation with Dumbledore. Again, there is no shame in backing out, this is the riskiest thing we've ever done."

"Riskier than chasing a Dark wizard as first year?" Hermione asked.

"Riskier than knowingly going to fight a Basilisk?" Ron said.

"We know what we're getting into," Neville said. "We'll be with you, with each other, and we'll protect one another. You and Tess have been teaching us all year, Harry, we can hold our own in a fight."

"Alright, fine, I can't keep you from coming along. So, a brief overview of the plan. Sometime near the end or most likely just after exams we get into a row with Umbridge, get away from her and leave with a lot of commotion, in that commotion we inform Snape, who is of course already aware of everything. We then leave for London on thestrals, which is actually stupid but gives the Order the time to stage a rescue mission, in London we meet Tess, she guides us to the Hall of Prophecies under my Cloak, I grab the prophecy, the Death Eaters appear, we fight our way out with Tess and Bellatrix helping, the Order comes, Tess fights Dumbledore in the most public place possible, hopefully the atrium, and we depart, leaving behind a bunch of dead Death Eaters, Tess's return becomes public and we get the prophecy either from the orb or from Dumbledore. Questions?"

"How do we know the Order appears at the right moment?" Hermione asked.

"Snape did some calculations with thestral flying speed and how long he expects the Order to need to mobilize, and Tess will use Umbridge to hold him up for long enough. Apparently, floo travel is too fast compared to the Order's likely speed, but thestrals, which is the next fastest, is a little on the slow side."

"Can you actually see thestrals?" Luna inquired dreamily.

Harry nodded at the question. "That's a good point. I cannot, but Tess can, and we can use a little trick so that I know where they are. Tess figured that out during the lesson we had on them. Anyone else who can see thestrals?"

"I can," Luna said.

"So can I," Neville added.

"Then the others will have to hold on to you. Anything else?"

"Why does Tess want to fight Dumbledore?" Ginny asked.

"Because she is ready to set the war in motion and wants to be able to predict the Ministry's reaction, so she wants her return to be undeniable. The only way she can stay around long enough without making the lack of casualties on our side apparent is by dueling Dumbledore. She can't win, but she's fought him often enough to be able to reliably stall and then escape when it is time. Everything clear?"

The group nodded.

"Good. We'll just go through our exams, and you should all remain ready. We simply cannot plan this too far in advance because the Department of Mysteries needs to be breached by the Death Eaters, which requires timing. Most likely, we'll leave the day of the last exam or one or two days after."

"As long as it isn't during the exams," Hermione muttered.

"Tess is taking that into account," Harry said. "I swear, she has a one-track mind when it comes to education."

* * *

Shortly after History of Magic, Tess spoke.

_It's time._

_Ok_, Harry replied immediately. _I'll get the others, meet Umbridge in her office?_ Conveniently, Umbridge had recently gotten all floo access to and from the school restricted - except her own. Which, of course, had nothing at all to do with a certain plan where they needed to be unavailable.

_She'll be there_.

Harry gestured to the other Gryffindors and went upstairs. Downstairs, Ginny would send Luna a patronus saying she wanted to meet up, which informed her it was time.

In the dorm, Harry waited alone for several minutes (others would be told he was tired, if anyone asked) and then did his best impression of a blood-curdling scream. He clutched his scar in case anyone else appeared, but it was just Ron and Neville. Still, they kept up appearances just in case.

"I had a vision," Harry told them hurriedly. "Sirius - he was being tortured by Voldemort!"

"What?" Ron exclaimed. "You mean like the visions you had last year?"

Harry nodded. "We have to get to him. I recognized the location. It's in the Department of Mysteries, close to where I had my trial!"

"Harry, we can't just-" Neville began.

"Sirius is being tortured _right now_," Harry interrupted. "We have to help him!" He grabbed the Cloak and ran down the stairs, right up to Hermione.

"What's going on?"

"Voldemort is torturing Sirius! We have to help him!"

"How do you know that?" Hermione asked, following him as he made his way to the portrait hole, Ron and Neville just behind.

"Vision," Harry said. He immediately went in the direction of Umbridge's office.

"I thought you didn't have visions anymore!" Hermione said.

"Me too," Harry replied. "That's why I'm so sure about this, clearly it only happens when something important is happening." Just then, they reached Ginny and Luna, who were calmly strolling through the corridors.

"What important thing is happening?" Ginny asked.

"Voldemort is torturing Sirius!" Harry said.

"Stubby Boardman?" Luna asked. "Why would she do that?"

"We have to help him," Harry said without slowing pace. He'd have enough time to rest during the flight.

Luna nodded, she and Ginny running along. "We should."

"Where are you going?" Hermione asked.

"Umbridge's office! She has the only working floo!"

"Are you insane?" Hermione demanded.

"We have to!" Harry said. "Unless you want to fly a broomstick to London!"

Harry shot an _alohomora_ at the door to Umbridge's office and almost crashed through it. Umbridge quickly stood up and, seeing several students with wands drawn, shot a blasting curse with, Harry had to admit, great aim. If it hadn't been Tess controlling the hand, he'd have thought the miss accidental. Still, the students immediately stopped in their tracks.

"And _what_ is the meaning of this interruption?" Umbridge asked in a tone of frozen sugar water.

"We need the floo!" Harry said, keeping his wand aimed at her. Snape should be here any moment now…

"You come barging into my office, _demanding_ to use my floo?" Umbridge asked in a dangerous tone. "No, Mr Potter, I think it is time to teach you some manners. _Cruc_\- _Expelliarmus_." She jerked a little the moment the spellcast changed.

"_Protego_!" Harry parried. "_Stupefy_!"

Umbridge blocked with a shield of her own, but Harry dodged her counterattack and fired a silent shieldbreaker followed by another stunner, as Tess had drilled into him, and Umbridge went down.

_Wow,_ Tess said. _I was giving her a bit of free reign, I did not expect her to try to use an _Unforgivable _on you_.

_Well_, Harry replied, _at least you stopped her_.

That was the moment Snape entered.

"Potter!" he thundered. "What are you doing?"

"Professor! Voldemort is torturing Sirius! Where the weapon is hidden!"

"Stop with the nonsense!" Snape said, walking over to Umbridge to wake her.

While he was busy, Harry gestured to the others and quickly led the way out. By the time Umbridge looked up, they were gone. Undoubtedly she was buggering Snape (delaying him from informing the Order) by now.

The group of six quickly made their way to the Forbidden Forest - by now the timer was truly ticking - grabbing a previously hidden sack of meat along the way. They went a little into the forest, and together levitated various pieces of carnage out and put them on the ground.

It took only a few minutes before the first thestral appeared. Tess was now sharing Harry's vision, and she relayed everything she saw through the link, allowing Harry to overlap the two fields of vision, and the thestral appeared as both there and not there, much like when his eyes were unfocused and sent different signals of what they saw. They waited a little, and soon a second thestral appeared. Harry stepped forward to greet them, together with Luna, and whispered their need into their ears. His thestral snorted appreciatively, and he helped Ron and Hermione climb on the creature before getting up himself, while Luna, Neville and Ginny took the other one. Quickly, the thesteals set off and started making their way to London. Harry had been skeptical about their speed, in particular compared to a broomstick like his Firebolt, but the creatures built up a very high velocity, and Harry was quite certain that, to his surprise, they were _indeed_ faster than even his broom could go.

* * *

They had been flying for perhaps an hour, and were getting quite sore, when a speck flew upwards in their direction and soon morphed into Tess, who was somehow flying without any support.

"You'll have to teach me how to do that!" Harry shouted to her over the wind when she reached him.

Tess just smiled. "I figured I'd meet up with you all for a bit already. Everything seems to be going as planned so far, Severus has just gone off to inform the Order, so they should start mobilizing soon. Also, you're entering more populated areas soon, so I'm giving all of you a muggle-specific notice-me-not. The Statute of Secrecy automatically applies one to thestrals anyway, but it can't hurt to be safe."

"What do you mean, the Statute applies one?" Hermione asked.

"The Statute is a world-wide ward," Tess said, "which works to hide the presence of the magical world to muggles. You didn't think the few thousand wizards per country did all the hiding manually, did you?"

Hermione didn't answer from behind Harry while Tess flew around applying the notice-me-nots.

"I'll see you at the Ministry," Tess said before apparating away mid-flight.

* * *

About two hours later, London finally entered their view as night fell, and soon they landed right in front of the Ministry telephone booth, where Tess was waiting for them. Harry briefly kissed her, then muttered she should have side-apparated them along to save them from all the soreness.

"And how would you explain that?" she asked. "Come on, give me your Cloak and we'll head inside. We're on a timer with the Order."

Harry did so and she herded them into the magically-expanding booth, telling the voice they were here as bait for a Death Eater trap, to which the magic replied by giving them all buttons saying "Counter-conspiracy conspirator".

The floor tumbled down like a lift for roughly a minute, after which they entered the deserted Ministry atrium.

Tess continuously updated Harry on her location, and he led the group to the loudly rattling lifts, down to the Department of Mysteries and into a large, round room with twelve doors, where Tess kept open the door they came from.

"This is the central room of the Department of Mysteries," Tess's disembodied voice told them, "and their main defense against intruders. Each of these doors leads to a different room and a different area of study. Whenever all doors are closed, the room will start spinning, making it impossible to determine which door goes where. The doors also cannot open from this side if another door is opened. The only way to find the correct door is by calling out the correct name of where you want to go. Remember that the way out is found by 'exit'." She closed the door, and all doors, as well as the torches on the walls lighting the room, started spinning rapidly in disorienting fashion. When they stopped spinning, Tess gave the last instructions. "We will enter the room adjacent to our goal first because there is no direct door there. When we get to our destination, I will file in just behind you, and I can no longer talk because of the Death Eaters. I will lead Harry with mental instructions, and keep your wands ready. When possible, I'll strike at Death Eaters or protect you, but never, _ever_ rely on me. Harry, Hermione and Ginny form a trio adaptive-defensive-offensive, and so do Neville, Luna and Ron, like you practiced during the last DA lessons. I do _not_ want any of you harmed or killed, so should you find yourself unable to get out tonight, instead let yourself be captured and I will help engineer your escape and cover story in a few days. And stay on your guard, some Death Eaters may still be under the impression the Cruciatus does not fall under permanent harm despite my explicit statements otherwise. Ready?"

All six chorused "yes".

"Time Chamber," Tess called out, and a door opened. The door led into a narrow, long room containing many strange time-related artifacts, including a host of time-turners. Tess marched them straight through the room, ignoring the numerous doors on the sides, and eventually told Harry to open the one at the far end, which led to the Hall of Prophecies.

Harry whispered, "we're here, I lead, no unexpected movements considering what Tess and Bellatrix are throwing," to the others and opened the door, wand drawn. The next room was filled with rows and rows of shelves stacked all the way to the faraway ceiling, all filled with small orbs Harry knew had to be prophecies. He turned to the others, time to get into the act again.

"This is the room from my vision," he whispered. "Sirius must be here somewhere." On Tess's directions, he made his way through the shelves, which were ordered by ascending number. Tess had by now stopped updating her own location, letting Harry focus on his task and the imminent danger. The Death Eaters, of course, wouldn't reveal themselves until Harry had picked up the prophecy.

_This row_.

Harry entered the pathway and continued walking until Tess told him to stop.

"He's not here…" Harry said.

Hermione shuddered. "I don't trust this."

"Harry," Ginny said, "this orb has your name on it."

Harry followed her glance.

_S.P.T. to A.P.W.B.D  
__Dark Lady  
and ? (Harry Potter)_

Harry stepped up to it.

"What is this?" he mused, before picking the orb off the shelf. Now it would get scary. The thrill, fear and alertness of an incoming fight started flowing through his veins.

"Calmly put that on the ground, Potter," a voice said. Lucius Malfoy. He would be in command of six of the Death Eaters, while the other six, on the other side, would be led by…

"After all, wouldn't want anything to happen to one of your girls, now would you, Potter?" Bellatrix cackled. An involuntary shiver ran over Harry's spine. That woman was a scarily good actress.

He slowly glanced towards both sides of the corridor, six on one side six on the other. Malfoy ahead, Bellatrix (who was supposedly scarier) behind, where the exit was.

Harry dropped the prophecy. As it hit the ground, four spells left their wands towards the shelves, aimed at sowing confusion by destroying orbs as previously decided. The last two - Hermione and Luna - cast a protego, blocking the various curses coming from the Death Eaters, who were clearly surprised at the coordination. As one, the six ran in the direction of Bellatrix while the glass was still falling. Harry felt more than heard the incantation on her lips and ducked before she finished the first word. The killing curse flew over his head (it'd have missed him anyway, but better safe than sorry) and hit a Death Eater in Malfoy's group.

"Idiot!" Malfoy shouted as the teenagers began trading spells with Bellatrix's group. "We have to take them alive!"

Bellatrix cackled, then shot a bombardment curse, searing inches past Hermione's protego and impacting the ground between the teenagers and Malfoy's group and temporarily obscuring them from sight.

Harry went through a quick rotation of stunner, shield breaker, silent disarmer, stunner while Hermione' shield covered him, and the opposing Death Eater barely dodged the disarmer and resisted the stunner by a well-timed sapping charm, which allowed someone to catch a spell on their wand.

Next, Harry had to cast an absorber, specifically designed to counter shield-breakers, to save Hermione's protego, followed by a protego of his own to catch the follow-up overpowered blasting curse, which could almost break a shield by itself. _Not lethal_, he thought sarcastically. Ginny - who was busy firing cutting curses, shield-breakers, the occasional silent bat-bogey hex and more - could have possibly died if that had gotten through.

He answered by targeting the ground with several blasting curses as quick as he could make it. Neville immediately noticed what he was doing and broke his own spell chain to add a few of his own.

"Now!" Harry called, and together they rushed through the dust cloud, Hermione and Luna holding their shield charms at the back while Harry and Neville both held one in front. As soon as a figure appeared, Ginny and Ron shot a bat-bogey hex and blasting curse respectively. The Death Eater tried blocking the unknown hex, and his wand arm exploded in a mass of blood and gore. Moments later, a killing curse soared past them from behind, clearly from Tess, and another figure fell down. That would leave four standing, Harry counted as they reached the other end of the cloud.

He briefly met Bellatrix's eyes, calm and lucid, and she nodded minutely before letting out another cackle and she fired a bombardment curse right at Harry, who cast a reflector shield and directed the charm into the ground in front of her, pushing her and a Death Eater off their feet. Harry shot a stunner, shield breaker, stunner, shield breaker repeat assault at one of the other two Death Eaters, which was quickly copied by Neville, Ginny and Ron, each at different casting speeds, while Hermione and Luna continued covering their backs. The mixture of spells soon overwhelmed the Death Eaters, who fell down unconscious.

"Run!" Harry said, quickly leading them back.

_Which door?_ he asked Tess, leading them back the way they came. Every few meters, another door lined the wall of the room.

"Obscure," Harry instructed while running. Several blasting curses threw up dust behind them.

_Not here, not here, one further I think_, Tess said. Harry followed her directions and burst through the door, the others right behind him… Only this wasn't the Time Chamber. The rectangular room reminded him of the room where he'd had his trial, with a sunken pit about twenty feet deep and ascending benches expanding outward. In the middle of the pit stood a raised dais with a crumbling archway on top of it.

_Fuck, wrong room. Keep going_, Tess told him, and he continued to lead them through the room. _Whatever you do, stay away from that veil, not even our blood connection can save you if you fall through._

_What is this room?_

_The Death Chamber. They're coming!_

Harry whirled around, having made it halfway through the room, just in time to see ten Death Eaters enter.

"_Protego!"_ he shouted just in time to block the first curse. They formed their groups of three again immediately.

"Time room to the right,' Harry rattled off furiously, "circular room behind us, stay away from the veil." He continued trading spells when suddenly the door behind them, at the other side, burst open and six Order members ran in.

An overpowered blasting curse from Bellatrix knocked several of the students off their feet, but obscured them from sight. When Harry managed to raise himself up again, he noticed the Order had engaged the Death Eaters. In the confusion, Tess was running around invisibly, casting everything from tripping hexes to killing curses to inconvenience Death Eaters. Their non-lethal orders clearly didn't hold for Order members, and streaks of pale green were flying all over the place.

Harry, now separated from Hermione and Ginny, crouched behind some debris and started to take potshots at Death Eaters, working with Tess whenever possible.

After a minute or two, he suddenly noticed Sirius caught up in an intense duel with Bellatrix, which was slowly migrating towards the arch. Both of them were laughing in a mildly insane way, and Harry found himself reminded of Tess's mentions of the Black madness.

"Is that all you've got, cousin?" Harry heard Sirius shout from right in front of the Veil. Bellatrix, however, did not acknowledge the question, instead taking advantage of the opening and hitting him square in the chest with a stunner. Immediately, she followed up with an impeding hex to hold him in place, and a disillusionment charm.

"_OBLIVIATE!"_

Harry stood still in shock for a full second. Not only had Tess just obliviated an entire room at once - two dozen people - but she'd managed to specifically exclude him and Bellatrix. Then, he realized what supposedly happened and started screaming.

"Sirius! Sirius!" Remus was next to him, and Harry started running, only to immediately be grabbed by the werewolf.

"Harry! Harry, no!"

"SIRIUS!" Harry cried out again. Bellatrix cackled loudly and started running towards the exit. "I'll kill her!" he shouted, breaking free of Remus's grip and immediately firing several blasting curses in Bellatrix's general direction.

_I'm getting Sirius out,_ Tess told Harry. _He'll be portkeyed to the Shrieking Shack._

Harry continued chasing Bellatrix into the circular room. The moment the door closed, both lowered their wands.

"How are you holding up?" Bellatrix asked.

"Doing fine," Harry panted. "Better than expected, honestly."

"Tess trained you well. With those trios you're almost on par with three uncoordinated Death Eaters even in a longer fight. Fire a cruciatus at me, just to show you're serious in case someone sees us. It won't hurt me if you don't mean it."

The room stopped spinning, and Bellatrix hurled a few blasting curses at the walls before calling "exit".

A door opened behind her, and Harry continued the chase, shouting curses at her while she continued her maniacal laughter. Soon, she led the way up a set of stairs to the atrium. Harry followed her, and shouted one last curse which she dodged as she turned around to taunt, just like Sirius.

"Come on, Potter, is that the best you can do? I just killed your godfather, show some anger, show some hate."

"_Crucio_!" Harry shouted, and Bellatrix flailed around briefly before breaking the hold and gazing up at him from the floor, a crazy glint in her eyes.

"You have to _mean_ it, Potter, you have to _enjoy_ making me suffer for what I did to your godfather." She giggled and blocked a few of Harry's curses.

"Leave!" Tess suddenly called out, striding into the atrium from the entrance. Bellatrix immediately complied, leaving the complex. Harry turned his wand to Tess, who curled her lips into a sadistic smile.

"Harry Potter. It's been a while, hasn't it? This time, I will not simply let you get away."

_And now we dance_, she told him over the bond.

Three lightning quick curses shot out of her wand, and Harry immediately knew she'd been holding back during the lessons in the Shrieking Shack. Barely, he dodged two and shielded the last before retaliating with a shield breaker and bludgeoning curse. Tess danced away, not even bothering with a shield, and cast an overpowered bombardment curse at Harry's feet. He leapt back and cast a protego mid-jump to keep the debris away from him. The next blasting curse made him dodge to the right.

_Freeze_.

Harry immediately froze in place, and moments later a killing curse shot through where he would have been. He fired four silent cutting curses in quick succession, and the last actually managed to graze Tess's arm as she tried to dodge them.

_Nice!_ she said, momentarily falling into dueling practice mode. She answered by conjuring a flame whip, and Harry barely dodged the first strike by falling to the ground. He immediately scrambled to his feet and cast a protego to block some of the return strike. He moved the protego down, the whip following along, and jumped over it before it could coil around the shield.

He turned towards Tess and shot a pair of blasting curses at her, but a reflector shield bounced them right back and he barely dodged out of the way, but forcing her to react meant she'd had to dispel the whip.

They traded several straight up curses, and finally a bludgeoning curse got through Harry's defense, hitting his left shoulder and, he thought, shattering a bone. He flew back under the force of the curse, and roughly landed against the wall of the atrium. Before Tess could cast anything more, a pillar of flame heralded Dumbledore's arrival.

_Rest_, Tess said, focusing her attention on Dumbledore. Harry crawled up to the wall and inspected his shoulder. He definitely had broken a bone or two, and it appeared his skin had been pierced in the impact, as he was bleeding slightly. No bone was visible, however, and the bleeding wasn't bad. Nothing Madam Pomphrey couldn't fix. He gently sat up against the wall and watched the fight unfold.

Dumbledore immediately took to the offensive, casting a complicated spell that made the very floor wave up towards Tess. While she was casting several spells in quick succession to undo Dumbledore's work, Dumbledore enchanted the various pieces of the Fountain, and the witch made her way to Harry to protect him with her golden body, while the other pieces made to surround Tess. She cast an aegis shield, completely surrounding herself in a silver capsule, and after two seconds it broke to make way for a full-circle overpowered knockback jinx, knocking all the statues away.

With that, she went full on the attack, casting two blasting curses, a killing curse and another flame whip. Dumbledore expertly dodged the attacks and cast a reflector shield, which made the flame whip bounce off without coiling. Tess immediately struck forward again, and Dumbledore kept up his shield when she suddenly dispelled the whip and instead fired a strong aguamenti charm at him. Dumbledore quickly danced out of the way, correctly anticipating the follow-up lightning charm.

He whirled his wand in a complicated pattern and fired a whirlwind of small conjured projectiles at her.

"Back off, Tess," he called out as she battered them away the best she could. "There is nothing for you here!"

She laughed as she started building her next spell. "Call me Voldemort, Dumbledore. My birth name is reserved for my lover!" She shot an ice spear at him. When Dumbledore cast an aegis shield, Harry realized she must have charmed it to pierce most shields. A killing curse followed the spear as it shattered, but Fawkes flamed in and took it in his beak, immediately burning up and falling to the floor in a pile of ash. Dumbledore released the aegis shield - even it could not block Unforgivables - and retaliated with a wall of fire. Along the sides of the atrium, Harry noticed, people had started coming in, most likely alerted by various wards and floo calls, but the duel was too fierce to interrupt.

"You do not know love," Dumbledore shouted over the fire's roar, "and I pity the fool who believes otherwise."

Tess laughed as she dispelled the fire. "The only fool is you, Dumbledore. I know that one day, you will look death in the eye and realize your folly. Take your battle, but know I win the war!"

She waved her wand and loudly shouted the incantation. "_Ignis malus totalus diabolus_!" Demonic fire - fiendfyre - spilled out of her wand and quickly started spreading, but Dumbledore immediately diverted his attention to stopping it. It took him less than ten seconds to take control of and extinguish the demonic fire, but in that time Tess had disappeared.

Dumbledore checked for her presence but made his way to Harry when he had made certain she was gone.

"Are you alright?" he asked as the witch statue made her way back to the fountain.

"Sirius…" Harry said.

"I'm sorry," Dumbledore said, a slight sheen over his blue eyes. "Harry, I'll portkey you to my office. I need to take care of some things here but will come as soon as I can. Your friends are all reasonably fine, even if some got a little hurt. Understood?"

Harry nodded, and Dumbledore turned a piece of debris into a portkey. Moments later, Harry felt the familiar tug behind his navel and soon he found himself back at Hogwarts.

_How are you?_ he asked Tess.

_A little tired, but the duel went more or less as expected. Nice surprise with the silent cutting curses by the way, I didn't anticipate that casting speed._

_Thanks,_ Harry replied. _My shoulder _hurts_, by the way._

_I needed to get you out of the fight,_ Tess said. _I intended to hit you earlier and draw it out, but you held out well, and I knew Dumbledore was coming._

_How many Death Eaters died?_

_Nine including Lucius, two got captured, only me and Bellatrix got out. No casualties from the Order side of things, except Sirius's faked death. Once you have time, I'll come get you with the Cloak and we'll inform him._

_So, _Harry summarized, _all in all a plan well made and well executed._

_On the assumption Dumbledore tells you the prophecy. Which… I can't imagine he won't._

_I just hope it won't be something horrifying_, Harry said.

* * *

About ten minutes later, Dumbledore stepped out of the floo.

"I'm sorry for not sending you straight to the hospital wing, my boy, but I felt we needed to talk first." He sat down behind his desk and gestured for Harry to sit as well.

_Remember_, Tess said, _Sirius is supposed to be dead because of you running into a trap._

"It's my fault," Harry said, not moving towards the chair. "I believed the vision, and now Sirius is dead!"

"You shouldn't blame yourself, Harry. Sirius insisted on coming along to the rescue party, and from what I heard, you all handled yourself exceptionally well. Do not forget, Harry, that Voldemort deceived some of the smartest people in this country. Sirius would be proud of how you handled yourself once you realized you had walked into a trap."

"But he's dead!" Harry shouted. "Dead because I was stupid enough to believe my first vision this entire year showed truth! I should have known!"

"Harry, it is not your fault. If anything, you should blame me. Your natural occlumency is remarkable, but I should have checked it myself. If I had known a directed 'vision' could get through your shields, I could have warned you, and this would not have needed to happen. I… made some grave mistakes with you, Harry. The most recent of those is distancing myself from you for fear of making Voldemort realize - through the link - how much I care about you. I… need to apologize for that. I am sorry, Harry, for the part I played in Sirius's death.

"And… there is more. Do you remember, four years ago, the question you asked me while you were lying in the hospital wing after your encounter with Quirrell?"

Harry shook his head.

"You asked me why Voldemort had come after you as a baby. At the time, I believed you too young to carry the burden that is the answer to that question. On the other hand, you had encountered - and survived - Voldemort at a much younger age than I had ever anticipated. Yet, I decided to not answer your question, to give you more time to enjoy your childhood.

"The next year, you again faced Voldemort. You did not ask the question again, but I knew it was on your mind. Again, I decided not to tell you; surely this was just a coincidence. In third year, she was not involved, but you once again went above and beyond. Then, in fourth year, you were entered into the Tournament against your will. For the fourth year in a row, you faced threats far beyond what a boy your age should ever face, and you came out victorious. But the worst part came in the end; with the resurrection of Voldemort, time was running short, I would have to answer your question soon. Still, I wanted to wait. You had just seen a friend die, an narrowly escaped the same fate yourself.

"And now, today, I find myself wondering if I have waited too long. If you had known, nothing today would have had to happen. Harry, do you know what it is that Voldemort was after? The item she needed you to get?"

"I think one of the Death Eaters said it was a prophecy?" Harry inquired.

Dumbledore nodded. "It is a prophecy about you and Voldemort, made several months before your birth."

"But professor, the prophecy was destroyed. I let it fall to make sure the Death Eaters wouldn't get it."

"That was not the only copy of the prophecy, Harry. It was made in my presence, and I remember it clear as day. Come, let me show it to you. This is why Voldemort is after you so much."

_Yes,_ Harry thought through the bond. _After me indeed. Just not in the way you think._

Tess send back a wave of amusement.

Harry followed Dumbledore to his pensieve, where he added a memory strand. He stirred a little with his wand, and then Trelawney rose up from the pensieve, speaking with a raspy voice: "_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lady approaches… born to those who have thrice defied her, born as the seventh month dies… and the Dark Lady will mark him as her equal, but he will have the power the Dark Lady knows not… and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives… the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lady will be born as the seventh month dies…_

Did… did that mean he or Tess had to kill the other? Harry's breathing grew labored as the terrific implications of this prophecy became clear to him… Either must die at the hand of the other… they were _fated_ to kill one another. Panic welled up inside him. He was breathing loudly, eyes darting around, looking for an escape. Anything to get away.

Dumbledore placed his hand on his arm, but he instinctively shied back. "You see now why I was reluctant to share this."

"Do we… do we have to _kill_ each other?" Harry stammered with fear in his voice, unable to get his occlumency under control.

Vaguely, he became aware of Tess trying to draw his attention.

"I am afraid so," Dumbledore said. "But you must-"

Harry couldn't control himself any longer and ran to the door, down the stairs, tears streaming over his face in agony, fear, denial.

_HARRY! _Tess shouted over the bond, rattling his very mind with the intensity of her intrusion.

But he couldn't reply. He ran to the nearest hidden passage he knew and hid behind the drapery in front of it and sagged against the wall, crying.

_Harry! _Tess shouted again. _It's a prophecy, think before assuming, please!_

_Tess… it, it says… it says one of us will kill the other, clear as day._ He continued sobbing, a vague thought crossing his mind someone in the hallway could maybe hear him before dismissing it as irrelevant.

_Let's go through it together to see what it means, shall we?_

Harry gave a mental nod, trying to clear his head. Anything, anything that could change this terrible truth.

_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lady is obvious, that has already happened, and is in fact true even now - you know about my horcruxes, therefore you are the one with the power to vanquish me _if_ you so desire. I marked you as my equal - not by giving you that scar, as Dumbledore no doubt thinks, but because I love you, and you love me. And that is also the power I knew not. You taught me how to _care_, Harry, how to _love_ beyond an outward mask designed to draw people in._

_But the last part_, Harry said. He repeated the words that were burned into his mind._ Either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives. We are _destined_ to fight each other, Tess._ Again, he started sobbing.

_No, Harry, we are not, fate never forces one to follow a single predetermined path. Think about it. Either must die at the hand of the other - after all, you are immortal because of my existence, and I am immortal because of yours, by blood and horcrux respectively. No one else can kill us, only we have the keys. And the last, neither can live while the other survives. I cannot live if you merely survive, Harry, if surviving is all you're doing, I will come for you and allow you to live again - unless that is impossible, and then I will ensure we move on together._

"I love you, Harry, and I will _never_ let anything or anyone come between us."

Harry glanced up. Tess was standing there, in the hidden corridor, Invisibility Cloak lying behind her. Throwing off his surprise, he got on his feet and pulled Tess in a tight embrace.

"I love you," he replied. "Never, Tess. Never. I love you." He stuck his nose in her hair to breathe her scent, convince himself she was truly here for him. She kept her arms tight around him, and traced soothing patterns on his back.

"Neither can live while the other survives, because we cannot live until the other is happy, Harry."

She pulled him down to the ground and into her lap, without breaking the embrace, and they just sat down.

"I love you," Harry mumbled again.

After a few minutes passed and Harry had started to calm down, Tess pulled back her arms to release him. "You should go back to Dumbledore and tell him you had to process that you would have to become a killer - that is his interpretation, after all. We'll go to Sirius after that."

Harry nodded and stood. Before leaving, he kissed and then embraced Tess once more. "Thanks for being there for me at all times, Tess. I don't know what I would do without you."

"I'm sure you'd do fine, Harry. The words 'giving up' aren't in your dictionary." She gave him a quick kiss. "Good luck."

* * *

Sirius Black awoke, sitting in a chair. His body hurt somewhat, but not as much as he kind of expected. He had no idea where he was, though.

"Hello, Sirius," Harry's voice said. The boy - Prongslet, as Sirius liked to teasingly call him - stood in front of him, looking dead tired.

Dead…

The last thing Sirius remembered was taking a stunner from that bitch Bellatrix… while he was standing right in front of the veil.

"Am… am I dead?" Sirius asked with a hoarse voice. He gasped. "Did you die, Harry? You didn't follow me, did you?" Only Harry's smirk stopped him from jumping out of his chair to check on the boy, confirm to himself he was actually here.

Harry chuckled. "No, Padfoot, I'm not dead, and neither are you, actually. By all rights, you should have been, but as it turns out you fell victim to an extraordinary set of circumstances."

Sirius frowned. "Like what?"

"First of all," Harry said, "I should probably tell you the world _does_ believe you dead. That's why I'm meeting you here in the Shrieking Shack without anyone else around. Is your Marauder heart still beating, Padfoot?"

Sirius ignored the matter of being believed dead in favor of the more important thing.

"Of course it is!" he said, affronted.

Harry smirked. "Well then. How would you like to be part of the largest prank ever played on this country?"

Sirius's eyes lit up. "I'm all ears!"

Harry laughed and pulled over a chair. "You're something of a late addition, as it's been going for a while… now, where to start? What's the last thing you remember before waking up here?"

"I got hit by a stunner from that bitch Bellatrix."

"You might want to rethink that language, because she's the same person who caught you in your fall and hid you from view."

"She would never do that."

"Yes, I understand why you might think that. How much did you know about my occlumency?"

"You are a 'natural occlumens', I believe Dumbledore said?"

"There is no such thing as natural occlumency," Harry said. "I learned it the same way as everyone else. And Pettigrew's capture?"

"You recognized him in Hogsmeade, right?" Sirius now doubted that was the case - unless _this_ was Harry's prank.

"Like he would be careless enough for that," Harry said. "He was more or less handed over." He smiled.

"Handed over? What do you mean?"

"Did you know nine Death Eaters died in the Ministry, but you are the only supposed casualty on our side?"

Sirius frowned. "The Order doesn't use lethal curses."

Harry shook his head. "Bellatrix has a very… curious aim, and as it appears there was also someone running around under an invisibility cloak. Not that I think the Aurors or any Order members noticed anything."

"You lost me," Sirius said. "Well, I got everything you're saying, but I don't know how to make sense of it."

Harry smiled. "It wouldn't be a good prank if it's easy to see."

Sirius laughed. "So why don't you tell me what's going on?"

"I'll admit, I haven't had much chance to prepare for this meeting, so I'm kind of doing it all on the fly. Remember last year, when I told you about what happened after the third task?"

Sirius nodded. "I will never forget that day, Harry."

"You might as well," Harry stated bluntly. "Much of it is just a fancy tale."

"What?" Sirius exclaimed, shocked. "Why would you lie about that? Harry-"

"Patience, Padfoot, we're getting there. The gist of it is that Voldemort did not initiate a confrontation with me, but instead told quite the story about her past. Do you know what horcruxes are, Sirius?"

Sirius shook his head, deciding to hear his godson out. He was completely lost as to what was going on, and any lifeline would do.

"I'm not surprised, they're rather obscure dark magic. A horcrux is a piece of the soul, split off in a ritual, with the purpose to grant the creator immortality. I suspect you're not surprised to hear Voldemort made one - in fact, she made several. What she didn't know, however, is that insanity is a side effect of the ritual. So, that was basically how Voldemort came to be. But there is a third, even more obscure bit of knowledge, and this is the most important part. If someone with a horcrux dies - or as close as they can be - their sanity is returned."

"So you're saying we have a _sane_ Dark Lady on our hands now?"

"Not… quite," Harry said. "We have a sane _ex_-Dark Lady on our hands. Remember, nine Death Eaters dead in the Ministry, remarkable losses during the Azkaban breakout that should honestly have been piss easy, Peter Pettigrew being captured, your and Cedric Diggory's faked deaths… are you seeing the whole picture?"

"What _is_ she doing?" Sirius breathed as the picture started to form.

"Ridding the country of blood purists," Harry summarized. "Simply said."

Sirius gasped as it was laid out clearly. Several seconds he spent just... processing the information, before the next question popped into his mind. "Why did you go to the Ministry if you knew this?"

"Bait. The Death Eaters were under orders to take us alive or let us escape - no killing or permanent harm under any circumstances. The Order could handle themselves. We also have Bellatrix on our side - she had made a horcrux too, Tess killed her and brought her back to restore her sanity."

"Who is Tess?"

"Voldemort. She uses her birth name among those in the know. Which is us six from the Ministry, Bellatrix, Cedric, Snape and now you."

"So why is she doing it this way, with all the subterfuge?"

"Because many blood purists are too powerful to put behind bars, and Dumbledore would never condone killing them."

"But you do?"

"She makes a very good point, in particular the ease with which she herself previously used the sentiment to gain power. Sometimes, you have to cut out the festering flesh for the good of the body."

Sirius nodded. "I... agree, I suppose, no matter how harsh it is. So you knew from the start?"

Harry nodded. "I did."

"How did you coordinate the Ministry fight, though? I doubt you could just meet with _Voldemort_."

"We mostly used the bond between me and her," Harry said, "but as for meeting her, I did that as well. It was quite easy, actually." Bond?

"Where did you meet?" Sirius decided to ask instead.

Harry made a gesture around the room. "Right here, every Saturday. The last few months, I even brought Neville along. He gets along quite well with Bellatrix, actually."

"Why would they even meet? Actually, why would _you_ even meet Voldemort, homicidal or not?"

"Bellatrix wanted to meet Neville, she's more or less making it her life's work to find a way to restore his parents' minds. In general their interests align well, though. As for me and Tess…" He smiled at a spot to the left of Sirius, and Voldemort herself - as Dumbledore had described she would look like, which was different from her appearance a year ago - slid off an invisibility cloak. "She taught me occlumency during the summer, and, well… our meetings grew into something more." He stepped up to her and put an arm around her waist.

"Wait," Sirius said. "Wait. Wait a second. You are... _You_ are in a relationship with _Voldemort_?"

"I am," he said, planting a kiss on her neck.

"I need a moment." Sirius sagged back into his chair with a loud groan, hands covering his face.

Voldemort… Tess laughed, a genuine, joyful laugh. "You keep breaking them, Harry."

"I'm almost starting to think I have a bad choice in girlfriends," he joked. "Or girlfriend, I suppose."

"You do," she replied seriously. "I don't deserve you. Then again, I don't think anyone does. Don't ever change, Harry."

Sirius was quite simply stupefied. At, well, everything. But this thing in particular.

"So, Padfoot," Harry smirked. "Meet my girlfriend. As you're my godfather, I guess I should ask, does she satisfy your requirements?"

"I... don't think saying 'no' would be a smart idea."

Tess laughed. "Ah, you have some survival instinct. Let's get to the important part, though. Now that my return is public, there need to be a few Death Eater raids, but we don't want any innocents to be harmed - just Death Eaters. Any hands would be welcome behind the scenes, and considering you're supposedly dead, would you be willing to help out? The earlier the last Death Eaters are dead, the earlier we can live a normal life."

"You are aware I am feeling somewhat overwhelmed, right?"

"The biggest prank the country has ever seen," Tess said. "Do you want to play a part or not?"

"Do I get to see Harry?"

"Of course!"

"I'm in."

He was so going to regret this.

* * *

_**YOU-KNOW-WHO RETURNS  
**__Victory Snatched from the Jaws of Defeat  
__Minister Fudge resigns, under investigation_

_Yesterday evening and night, the Ministry of Magic was shaken to its very core as a battle with Death Eaters took place in its own halls. A group of Hogwarts students led by Harry Potter, also known as the 'Boy-Who-Lived', entered the Ministry yesterday evening. They soon found themselves in battle with a dozen Death Eaters, and after holding their own and trying to disengage back to the entrance of the Ministry, they were joined by a number of civilians, most of which were known for their positive involvement in the last war against You-Know-Who. The battle continued to make it's way towards the atrium, and once Harry Potter arrived there, so did someone else – You-Know-Who herself. They exchanged several rounds of spells before Albus Dumbledore arrived, the man known as the only person You-Know-Who ever feared. He continued his duel with the Dark Lady, and eventually forced her away in front of dozens of Ministry Officials._

_This sensational series of events started…_

Harry quickly skimmed the entire article. After the first paragraph, it went into detail on the entire series of events. It told how Umbridge (who was now 'missing' and would be found having hanged herself in her own home in a few days) had stopped them from using the floo, how they had gotten to the Ministry anyway, how they had made their way to an undisclosed location, fought the Death Eaters, backed out, how he and Dumbledore fought Tess, and then went into detail on the immediate political backlash.

The article extensively sang his and Dumbledore's praises – which was nice for a change, if he were being honest – and broadly proclaimed how this bunch of students had held their own against some of Voldemort's own, and how most of the Death Eaters had lost their lives. It briefly discussed the death of the recently exonerated Sirius Black, then lashed out harshly against Fudge, who had counted Umbridge and the now-deceased Lucius Malfoy among his most trusted advisers.

All around him, students were shocked as they read the newspaper, though a sizable number of Slytherin students was absent from their table – because they had lost family members, Harry suspected.

"It feels weird," Harry said softly. The other five from the Ministry were sitting next to him, but a number of dark glares ensured everyone else remained away, giving them privacy to talk.

"What does?" Ron asked.

"The reactions," Harry said. "Everyone is shocked, defeated, yet for me the article is like good news. It's the opening move of something I've been waiting for an entire year, and it went almost exactly as planned. I have to admit, I find it hard to keep my visible emotions as people would expect if I'd have lost Sirius, even with occlumency."

"What _did_ happen, exactly?" Hermione asked. "You told us he was alive, but nothing else."

"Bellatrix caught him immediately after hitting him, then Tess obliviated the entire room at once, but exempted me and Bellatrix from the spell."

"No way," Hermione breathed.

"I could barely believe it and I saw it myself," Harry said, shaking his head. "I knew she'd practiced area obliviations in case something like this happened, but to see it in action… Anyway, Tess portkeyed him to the Shrieking Shack, and after my talk with Dumbledore was over, I went to see him and tell him everything."

"How did he take it?" Ginny asked.

"I introduced him to it by inviting him into a prank," Harry said. "Worked like a charm. He's with Tess right now, she's working through some basic stealth with him so he can help guide raids in the right direction."

"And the prophecy?" Neville asked. Tess had told him a while back it could have referred to him instead.

"I heard it," Harry said. "I… didn't take it well at first, because it seemed to say me or Tess would kill the other, but Tess was a little more level-headed than me and figured out the entire prophecy could be interpreted differently as well, and we're in fact already quite on our way to that."

"Why is that?" Hermione asked.

"It says one of us will kill the other," Harry ignored the gasps of shock, "which is true not because we will fight, but because we make each other immortal, so we _cannot_ die except to one another. Assuming we ever die, and I don't expect to live forever, one of us will kill the other. But it can simply be moving on, it doesn't need to be because we're fighting against each other."

"So it's because you're immortal until you want to die?" Hermione asked.

Harry nodded. "That's more or less it. I'm not exactly sure how the blood thing works, but I also feel like Tess is up to something with the whole immortality thing, I just can't figure out what. She's been talking about her plans for my birthday for months though."

"So you'll know in little more than a month," Hermione concluded.

Harry nodded. "And until then I'm just going to enjoy my summer. Though Tess _did_ mention something about possibly helping her guide a raid. No idea how wants to go about circumventing the Trace though."

"But first a nice summer," Luna said.

"But first a nice summer."

* * *

**AN: The incantation for fiendfyre is taken (with permission) from LeadVonE's Dodging Prison and Stealing Witches, which I only haven't recommended because I focused on recommending lesser known fics – DPaSW is one of the best fics out there.**


	17. Ch 16: Summer

**AN: The first of two summer chapters. Next chapter you will finally see what Tess has been planning for Harry's birthday! I'm just going to say it's the biggest, most valuable present Harry has ever received - and probably will ever receive - from anyone.**

**AN: The rest of this fic is very likely going to be 5 more normal sized chapters (including this one, so 16-20), then a superchapter (21), an epilogue and a bonus chapter that explores a different path with Harry being sentenced guilty at his trial (no promises on when that one will be released). Chapter 16, 17 and almost all of 21 have already been written, as well as part of the bonus chapter, my current goal is to finish the fic before the 1****st**** of September.**

**Disclaimer: I created the name "Oxfield" as a name that one would expect to find in England. I have no idea if a place with such a name actually exists or not. If it does, it's a coincidence.**

* * *

**Chapter 16: Summer**

* * *

Harry made his way downstairs just in time to open the door.

"Good afternoon, Harry."

"Hi Tess, come in."

When she entered, he briefly embraced her and placed a quick kiss on her lips.

"So why did you want to visit?" Harry asked as he led her to his room - no need to bother informing the Dursleys she was around.

"I figured you might want something to break the monotony of summer."

"As long as you visit every now and then, that won't be a problem."

"I'm glad to hear that, but I was actually thinking about going somewhere for a bit."

"You mean like… a date?" Harry asked, completely surprised. That wasn't something he'd expected her to do. In fact, he hadn't given the idea a thought either.

Tess laughed. "No, at least not like that. I uh, hadn't even thought about conventional dates."

"Me neither."

"Well, at least we're on the same wavelength there. No, I wanted to invite you on working around a raid. You know, getting out muggles, perhaps protecting wizards, putting Death Eaters in precarious positions, whatever is needed."

"That sounds like a great idea!" Harry said excited, before sobering. "Just don't expect me to kill anyone."

"Of course not. We'll see what your exact task will be. You'll also get to stay under your Cloak of course. Speaking of, I think I may finally be getting closer to figuring out what makes it different."

"Really?"

"I couldn't find anything at all about special invisibility cloaks, until I asked Bellatrix, who knew a fairy tale about a cloak, stone and wand gifted to three brothers by Death - according to the tale at least. She couldn't tell me anything apart from the tale though, so it's a dead end for now."

"Wand… Tess, the Trace! I can't help out!"

Tess smirked. "That's not a problem. The Trace is on your wand, so you can't use that. However, our wands are extremely compatible, to the point you probably won't notice a difference if you use mine, and I have two good backup wands I know are compatible for me."

Harry gave her a kiss on the cheek. "You have a solution for everything, don't you?"

"Not everything, but this I can do."

He pulled her into his side. "I love you."

She just hummed in contentment.

"You know," Harry said, overthinking recent events, "last year we thought the entire me getting in danger all the time was over, and yet I ended up fighting Death Eaters in the Ministry itself."

"But this time you knew what you were getting into and could have chosen not to get involved."

"Maybe people are right and I do look for spectacular things to do."

"Or maybe you just can't help but try and right the world."

Harry gave her a quick kiss. "Your faith means everything to me, Tess." He chuckled. "Does my life ever stop being crazy?"

Tess laughed. "When does crazy become the new normal?"

"Very true, I suppose crazy is normal for me. So when is that raid?"

"Tonight, actually. The Death Eaters will be hitting a small muggle village - a hamlet, really - and me, Bella, Cedric and Sirius are for certain there. Can you come?"

"Should be able to, it's not like I have a lot of responsibilities after all."

"Not this kind, at least. So I can count on you?"

He grinned. "Always."

After another hour of talking and some cuddling, Tess announced it was time to go; they'd have dinner together to talk through the plan. According to Tess, Bellatrix was a surprisingly good cook. Side apparating wasn't very enjoyable, however, in particular for Harry's first time.

"Here we are," Tess said once he straightened himself. "Riddle manor. I don't think you've seen it before?"

"Where?"

"Oh, sorry." She pulled out a slip of parchment saying 'Riddle manor is located at the end of the paved road out of Little Hangleton'. As soon as Harry finished reading, it shimmered into view.

"I'm still getting used to the Fidelius," Tess said. "I could never perform it before because it requires you to put absolute trust in another person. Now, I _can_ do that, and Cedric is the Secret-Keeper."

"I assume there are no Death Eaters here?"

"No, just me, Cedric, Bella and Sirius. Come on in."

They stepped through the door and Tess announced their arrival. Approximately three and a quarter milliseconds later, a large black dog bounded down the stars and almost pushed Harry off-balance.

He laughed. "Still excitable as ever, Padfoot?"

Sirius transformed and grabbed him in a hug. "I missed you, Harry, that's all."

He laughed. "It's barely been two weeks, we've gone much longer without seeing each other."

"They've been very eventful weeks."

"I'll give you that. So, you haven't been bored then?"

"I've been worked ragged! Constant dueling practice, tactics on how to fight while invisible, it just keeps on going. How have you been?"

Harry laughed. "I've been a little bored, at least when Tess was busy. I'm used to it though. Are you getting along with the others a little?"

"I am, actually. The difference between how Bellatrix and Tess were and how they are is night and day - though I suppose I don't have to tell you that - and Cedric and I can keep each other from going crazy with the world believing us dead."

"And you may soon have more company," Tess said, ushering them to the dining room. "Has Bellatrix finished cooking yet?"

Sirius sniffed the air. "I think she's almost done."

"We might as well sit then." Tess flicked her wand and a silver form appeared for a moment before immediately disappearing.

"What was that?" Harry asked.

"Patronus to call Cedric to dinner."

"I'm not sure if that's smart or showing off."

She laughed. "Why not both?"

"What is your memory, actually, if it's not too personal?"

She kissed his temple. "The first time you told me you'd forgiven me."

For a moment, no one spoke, lost in thought at that, but then Bellatrix walked in, levitating three pans towards the table and wearing an apron.

"Good evening, Harry," she greeted without the pans even wavering. Moments later, they settled on the table. "Did anyone call Cedric yet?"

Before they could answer, he walked through the door.

"Hi Harry, I see you're coming along tonight?"

"I am. No idea yet what I'm supposed to do though."

"Then lets get to that," Tess said as Bellatrix started filling plates. "Ten Death Eaters will be attacking the hamlet of Oxfield this evening, in two groups of five. The hamlet is just a single street with a bunch of houses at both sides, and the two groups will enter from opposite sides. They will first erect an anti-apparation and anti-portkey ward to delay auror response. Their goal is mostly to cause material damage, preferably through fire other than fiendfyre. They will try and herd the muggles together in the middle of the hamlet to cut off avenues of escape and make a statement to the wizarding world.

"However, the four of you will be urging the muggles ahead, while I am waiting in the center to hide them through notice-me-nots and perhaps some disillusionment charms. Bella will also strike at the Death Eaters if possible, you three should probably avoid doing that. Cedric - only if you're completely certain you're in a safe position, and nothing that can point towards magical resistance having occurred."

"Don't forget to take a bite, Tess," Bellatrix admonished.

She did so, allowing Harry a moment to digest what she'd said so far.

"Harry and Sirius will be a team," Tess continued after just two bites, "and so will Bella and Cedric. Cedric, I want you to understand what Bella does and why, in the hope you can soon take the lead yourself. Harry, Sirius, play it careful, and Harry can ask me if there are questions. Again, don't be seen, your priority is getting the muggles out. Once they reach me, I will obliviate our magic and appearances from their minds to make the aurors believe we were just muggles helping out and got lucky."

"Two questions," Harry said. "First, won't the muggles still lose their homes, and second, won't the aurors get suspicious if no one dies?"

"First question: Bellatrix just happens to be the treasurer of the Death Eaters, and the muggles will receive a big donation from an anonymous philantropist to help rebuild after the tragic fire. Second question: The muggle in charge of copying the report that is sent to the magical world will be… confused and accidentally change that version of the report to claim there were a number of casualties."

Harry grinned. "You really do have a solution for everything."

They remained silent for a few moments while eating. Harry was the first to speak up again.

"How are you doing, Cedric?"

"Getting used to everything by now, it took a while though. I'm still not really used to seeing so few people, but I could easily take my NEWTs right now and I see Cho whenever possible so I can deal with it. I just hope people won't abandon me because I faked my death for two years."

"You can always say I didn't give you a choice," Tess said. "After all, I didn't."

"And if you hadn't faked your death," Bellatrix added, "the Death Eaters would never have been exposed. People should understand that sometimes, sacrifices must be made."

"Why don't we move on to happier topics?" Sirius asked.

"Because dozens of innocent people will lose their homes tonight?" Tess retorted.

"Yes, that helps so much."

"Perhaps now is not the time for levity, my dear cousin."

"I'm still getting used to you _not_ regarding everything with some wicked joke or thinly-veiled sadism," Sirius muttered.

"Welcome to the new reality. Would you like a guidebook?"

"Shut it you two," Tess intervened. "If you want to test Bella's tongue, Sirius, do it when we're not awaiting a raid. And in privacy."

"What? She's my cousin! That's improper!"

"Grow up," Tess snarled, and Harry thought he could see a hint of the old Voldemort in her. Sirius seemed to notice it too, as he finally backed off.

Harry, who had already finished his plate, reached over to Tess and squeezed her hand. She smiled at him in thanks.

"Is everyone done eating?" Bellatrix asked. They were. "Perhaps we should get ready then."

"Good idea," Tess said. "Harry, let's get you ready to go." She led him into a side room.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked, again grabbing her hand.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just… Sirius can be a bit much sometimes. Once he gets going, it's almost impossible to get him to stop."

Harry pulled her in a brief embrace. "But he has his heart in the right place."

"That he does. And I do think his years in Azkaban aren't helping either. In fact, I should probably have Bella look at him, see if she can help out. Anyway. You'll need to use my wand," she handed it over, "and I will use a backup wand." She opened a cabinet and pulled out one of the wands inside.

The moment Harry touched her wand, he felt a familiar warmth, and a quick charm proved just how well it fit him.

"Does the horcrux influence my connection to different wands?" Harry asked.

"Most likely," Tess said. "The extended contact between your soul and the horcrux seems to have caused some unique effects. They've come to align closer to one another than normal, which makes some aspects bleed through, like parseltongue - or your preferred wand. It doesn't seem to go much further than that, though. I could still isolate the horcrux, if I wanted, or things like that. In fact, the horcrux needs to be separate in order for you to shield your mind from me, which we know you can do.

"But enough idle theory talk. You will be wearing your Invisibility Cloak, while Sirius, who as adult commands more natural respect, will guide the muggles. Your job is to search houses, check on Death Eater proximity, and slow them down with timely destruction, like bringing down walls. You will never use magic where a Death Eater can possibly notice it. If in doubt, ask me for help. Clear?"

"Clear."

"Then let's go."

"Should I take my wand along?"

"Yes, if you somehow lose the yew wand, you need a backup wand. Of course, at that point the question won't be what you're doing in the middle of a Death Eater raid, but rather why the hell you had my wand. So yeah, don't lose it." She laughed.

"I'll try not to."

They walked back to the others, then made their way out of the wards (Tess preferred a variation that couldn't key people in due to the associated weakness that brought) and apparated to Oxfield, Tess again side-alonging Harry. Sirius and Harry went in one direction, and Bellatrix and Cedric into the other. Harry put on his Invisibility Cloak and placed his hand on Sirius's arm to show he was still near, and they waited for Tess's signal.

Said signal came some ten minutes later.

_Wards just appeared, get started._

Seconds later, a Dark Mark shot into the sky at the other end of the hamlet - according to the plan, Bellatrix would have imperiused a Death Eater into doing that now rather than at the end of the raid. The subsequent explosion (courtesy of the same Death Eater) caused people to worriedly leave their houses, and Sirius sprung into action, directing people to Tess.

Harry rushed past a few muggles and entered the first house. A homenum revelio determined it was empty, and he moved to the next house, casting the charm again. This time, a single person was left. Harry rushed into the kitchen (the woman was, apparently, making a late dinner) and confounded her before taking off his Cloak.

"Go to the center of the hamlet right now."

"What? Why?" She gave him a confused look.

"It's not safe to stay here. Didn't you hear that explosion?" He hit her with another confounding charm, and she went ahead without further questioning. Harry quickly put the Cloak back on and continued his tasks.

He'd done a few more houses when an explosion sounded, and moments later flames erupted from the first house. He briefly abandoned his rhythm and moved towards the Death Eaters. As instructed, they took their time with each house, looting before burning. The loot would, of course, miraculously find its way back to its rightful owners in a few days or weeks.

Harry rushed to Sirius to confirm the Death Eaters were on their way, then continued checking the houses.

He found six more people who weren't outside, but he managed to convince them all to leave with just confounding charms, which was just as well - he'd rather not use the Imperius or something like that if he could help it.

The Death Eaters took so much time for their looting he didn't need to slow them down at all, which was just as well, as it made his task easier. A little after nightfall, he reached the center of the village, where Tess was guiding the last muggles into a building with a notice-me-not charm applied to it. When the last went inside, Harry threw off his Cloak. Sirius had transformed to safely observe, and Bellatrix and Cedric were laying a trap to hopefully kill a Death Eater.

"The muggles all believe they came up with hiding here themselves," Tess said. "The aurors should be here within a few minutes to arrest the surviving Death Eaters."

At that moment, Bellatrix slid off her disillusionment charm.

"Bella, report."

"Three dead, one incapacitated, nothing that can be traced to magical origin."

"So six Death Eaters in fighting condition, the aurors should be able to take care of that. The muggles have been obliviated. Cedric?"

"Here."

"Good, let's get out of here as soon as the wards fall."

That took just a minute longer. Tess cast a finite at the notice-me-not and apparated out with Harry, together with the others. They all appeared in front of the manor and made their way back inside.

"Well done, everyone," Tess said. "No casualties, three Death Eaters dead, perhaps more captured in the fight right now. Bella, you are to follow the investigation paper trail so the Ministry of Magic will believe there are casualties, and you will arrange the anonymous donations… what is that?"

An owl flew into the room and dropped a letter in front of Harry, who quickly unfolded and read it. "Dumbledore wants to pick me up from the Dursleys in a few days," he said, surprised.

"And he will probably want to check in on how you have been doing," Tess said. "Which means he will be talking to the Dursleys, which means we need to come up with a cover identity for me and obliviate your relatives so they will believe the same."

Harry blinked in surprise at the quick deductions. "I… guess so?"

"He apologized for your living conditions, remember. And once we know he's talking to the Dursleys, the rest is quite simple. We'll have to create… what about a muggle girlfriend? Change her appearance… Let's say blonde, blue eyes, freckles… I think I can come up with something in an hour or two and then teach you over the next few days. Perhaps I'll even glamour myself into the appearance I'm making."

Harry gave a slight smile. "I'll just work with whatever you come up with."

* * *

"Hello professor," Harry greeted, opening the door. "Please come inside."

"Thank you, Harry. I would like to discuss a few things with your uncle and aunt before we leave, is that fine by you?"

"Of course, professor. Cone on in." Suddenly, Harry noticed Dumbledore's hand was all black and shriveled, and he asked after it.

"Nothing to worry about, my boy. Just a little accident."

_Hand?_ Tess asked.

Harry showed her what he had seen.

_Just a little accident?_ Tess asked incredulously. _That ring he's wearing was one of my horcruxes, which, sure, I'm not surprised he found it, but how the hell did he not see through the compulsion to put it on and find himself in contact with the _very lethal_ withering curse I had cast on it?_

_You left a horcrux with a lethal curse lying around?_ Harry asked, equally surprised.

He stepped into the living room. "Uncle Vernon, aunt Petunia, this is professor Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts. I told you he was coming, of course."

"Yes," Petunia said with a pinched face.

_I ignored it,_ Tess replied to Harry's question, _because it was in the middle of enough traps to scare away anyone. Well, anyone but someone hunting my horcruxes._

_So Dumbledore is going to die?_

_Of course not. If he's lived this long he'll make it another year or two, and I can at any point come by and counter the curse, as it's my own magic._

_Then just make sure the war ends before that._

_I'm giving it a year at most._

Dumbledore sat down on a free seat, gesturing for Harry to take another, which he did. He then started fishing for various bits of knowledge, until 'Tess' was mentioned.

"Tess?" Dumbledore asked sharply.

"Uh, yeah," Harry said, blushing slightly. "Unfortunate coincidence with the name. Tess is my girlfriend."

"You have a girlfriend?" Dumbledore inquired, surprised.

Harry nodded. "I tried to keep it secret," he said. "She's a muggle, doesn't even know about the magical world, and I realized that if it was known that I had a muggle girlfriend, she'd be a target."

"When did you meet her?"

"Last year," Harry answered, "in the park. She'd moved in with her parents that spring. Haven't ever met her parents, though."

Dumbledore carefully considered his next question. "What does she look like?"

Harry described the glamour Tess had made. Blonde, freckles, a little shorter than him, and so on.

"Harry, are you absolutely _certain_ nothing is afoul here?"

"Professor, she's just a sweet girl, if she was really Voldemort… well, she'd have had plenty of opportunities after I'd decided for myself that the name was just a coincidence, when I got to know her."

"She might be playing some long game," Dumbledore said.

"Didn't you say there were wards around the house to keep Voldemort and her followers out? I invited her over. Several times."

"There is… wait, no, even the long game would include hostile intent. Yes, then it must truly be a coincidence. I'm sorry, Harry, I was simply worried."

"It's fine, headmaster. When I met her and she told me her name was Tess, I was suspicious too."

"Perhaps it is time for us to go," Dumbledore said. "After all, I wouldn't want to impose." The glares of the Dursleys implied they believed he had already been imposing, but both wizards ignored them.

"That sounds like a good idea, professor."


	18. Ch 17: Life Changing

**AN: I bet you didn't know/forgot about this, but in canon Susan's parents are alive, so she doesn't actually live with Amelia Bones.**

**AN: Quite possibly the last time I ever give an update regarding my outline in this fic: I've started writing on the next chapter(s), meaning everything before the almost-finished finale, and quickly came to the conclusion that there's less plot than I thought if I don't want to rehash canon, which can be blamed on simply not really anything happening in book 6. To make sure I don't end up with awkwardly short chapters, I will write everything I have planned before uploading anything more. I expect that to take about one or two weeks, after which I will have nothing left to write and upload the last few chapters over a week or so.**

**AN: Anyway, Tess's birthday present!**

**Disclaimer: This chapter contains smut. Disclaimer's disclaimer: I got much better at writing it since my last attempt in this fic.**

* * *

**Chapter 17: Life Changing**

* * *

Sirius rapped on the door. After a few seconds, the stern Director Bones opened it only to adopt a look of utter shock when she recognized the man before her.

"You're dead!"

"So I've heard," Sirius said lightly. "Don't believe everything in the newspaper, I believe they say in such situations."

"Newspaper! Official auror report is what I'm talking about! Who are you?" She pointed her wand at him.

"The same Sirius Orion Black that got exonerated a few months ago in the trial you led. And yes, it is believed that I fell through the Veil of Death a few weeks ago. Very convenient, that, with the whole 'no body' thing. The truth is - obviously - that I didn't fall through, and in fact my visit is related to that. May I come in, Director Bones?"

"No fast movements. Hand over your wand, handle first, and I will let you in."

Sirius complied, and was led to a sitting room.

"A dozen eyewitnesses confirmed your death," Bones said. "I would say it was polyjuice, but it is no secret polyjuice does not work on the deceased. I'll let you talk, perhaps your motives become clear that way."

"I have no doubt they will, as motives are why I am here. As for the eyewitnesses, though I was stunned at the time I heard it was a spectacular usage of an area of effect obliviation. You see, I really _should_ have died in that situation. If my survival were known, unwelcome questions would be asked. So instead, they faked my death. Let me assure you I had no choice in this matter, though I agree with the motive."

"So you are faking your death, wish to continue to fake it, and then decide to visit the Head of the DMLE?"

"I was sent, actually. Well, asked."

"And why would that be?"

"That is quite the story. Let me begin at the start. As you are head of the DMLE… do you happen to know what horcruxes are?"

"I am afraid not."

"A horcrux is created through a dark ritual," Sirius explained. "It splits off a part of the soul and stores it in an object. This piece then acts as an anchor, making the owner immortal as long as the horcrux exists. However, it has a price, twofold in fact. The first part is that it causes the creator of the horcrux to go insane."

"And the second?"

"If the owner dies while the horcrux still exists, their sanity is returned, and with it comes the a clear view of all the despicable acts they have committed while insane."

Bones remained silent for several seconds, overthinking the information.

"At first, I believed you were referring to You-Know-Who, but this... second price does not fit what we know of her. Surely, if she committed her deeds because of insanity, she would not continue if she became sane."

"You are aware of how easy it is for Voldemort to control dementors, are you not?"

"I am…" Bones said hesitantly, surprised at the apparent non-sequitur.

"How many Death Eaters lost their lives during the Azkaban outbreak?"

"Six."

"A surprisingly high number."

"Could be simple bad luck."

"How many casualties did the Battle of the Ministry have last month?"

"Nine Death Eaters killed, two captured… and if you actually were Sirius Black, no deaths on our side."

"Here is a copy I made of the muggle report on the supposed Oxfield Fire, which was of course actually the Death Eater raid that occurred last week. Notice any surprises?"

Bones looked it over quickly. "It doesn't list any casualties," she said, surprised. "Our copy claimed seven deaths."

"Your copy was edited. The only casualties were three Death Eaters."

She contemplated the information. She knew she had the correct numbers for the Azkaban outbreak. She knew she had the correct numbers for the Battle of the Ministry - except perhaps Sirius. And this muggle report looked very real to her. If it was fake, it was a convincing copy.

"I am missing something here, am I not?" Bones asked.

"You are. Voldemort made a horcrux. Several, in fact. When she lost her body and regained her sanity, she started reflecting her rise to power, and eventually realized just how easily blood supremacy could and did escalate into violence. She believed, that if she never returned, the former Death Eaters would find someone else to rally behind and continue their war. She decided to take care of the problem herself, rather than let it lay dormant. We are now in a war because it is the most convenient way to expose the blood supremacists, in particular those like Lucius Malfoy who are slippery enough to avoid Azkaban altogether. Hence why he died in the Ministry, clad in Death Eater robes to expose him for what he was. A significant number have preceded him, and all the others will follow in time."

Bones folded her hands and studied Sirius for the better part of a minute. "As a person, I am delighted to hear justice is being done. However, as the Director of the DMLE I have the law to uphold, and now that I know of this, I cannot allow it to continue."

"Do you know why it was decided to inform you, Director?"

She shook her head. "I do not."

"Tess - that is Voldemort - believes that if she were still insane like she was prior to her near-death, she would have come to kill you around this time. As she is not insane anymore, she instead wishes to recruit you to help avoid collateral damage from her fake war, like she has recruited me and Cedric Diggory, and fake your death in the process. Will you accept this, so the Death Eaters will finally be brought to justice fifteen years afterwards?"

Bones again went into a contemplative silence. "It is… tempting," she eventually said. "Your story makes a surprising amount of sense, assuming horcruxes work as you claim they do, and the number of casualties at Azkaban and the Ministry are suspiciously high indeed. I do believe you are telling the truth. However, I also have a duty to the nation."

"Through me, you have confirmation from Voldemort herself that a large number of Death Eaters escaped justice. If we use the lawful channels, that will happen again. And the problem? The problem would remain."

Bones sat silent for a good ten seconds, then nodded resolutely. "The law serves the country, the country does not serve the law. I will come with you."

* * *

It was surprisingly easy to get away from the Burrow on July 30th; Harry didn't even need to give a reason. He just asked Mrs Weasley if it was a problem if he was gone for the day and she happily complied - Tess suspected Mrs Weasley saw it as the perfect opportunity to prepare his birthday. So Harry simply made his way out of the wards and met Tess, who apparated him to Riddle manor. As soon as he stepped inside, Sirius accosted him in a hug.

"Happy birthday pup!"

"Thanks Padfoot. How's life here?"

"Getting better now that Amelia's here, finally a sane adult."

Harry chuckled. "I think all of the other residents of this house should take offence at that."

"The very existence of Sirius Black offends me," Tess said nonchalantly. "Getting worked up about the details isn't worth my time."

"You just cannot handle my charisma," Sirius said, studying his nails.

Tess scoffed. "Let's just get to the sitting room, shall we?"

In the sitting room, Harry received a a number of owl-ordered presents from the various people living there (showing up in person in Diagon Alley was difficult for all of them, so owl ordering was the only possibility).

"I can't give you my present here," Tess said. "It's not that the others may not know about it, but rather that I need to perform some magic that requires your presence. Perhaps I can give it to you a little later?"

"You've been talking about this for months," Harry laughed. "I can wait a few hours more. You better deliver, though."

She smirked. "I fully intend to exceed all expectations."

They simply sat together, talking about all kinds of things, until they eventually had lunch. After that, Tess dragged Harry through the manor for his present. She led him to what appeared to be her bedroom and took the Locket Harry had returned to her last year off the stand holding it.

"I've been researching our bond more," she told him. "Remember how I explained a few weeks back that the horcrux in your head and your soul had become more aligned to one another?"

Harry nodded.

"Remember that, it will be important. Do you know _exactly_ how a horcrux works?"

"The details, you mean? I might not know everything."

"Basically, a horcrux has a magical connection to the main soul that tethers it to this world, though it only works one way. There is a ritual, which isn't too hard, that can transfer the tether - and the horcrux - to another object. If you would change the ritual, it would be possible to instead manipulate which soul is being kept alive by the horcrux, of course on the very, _very_ important condition the horcrux recognizes the soul it is attached to. So I could perform this new ritual to transfer one of my horcruxes to another horcrux, and instead tether that second horcrux to this world, rather than my own soul."

Harry nodded slowly. "So then you have a horcrux protected by a horcrux. All that means is that you have to destroy horcruxes in a certain order, right? And if a horcrux has no container, does it even remain if it's... sub-horcrux has been destroyed?"

"I doubt it would," Tess said. "This horcrux transfer is indeed little more than a curiosity. However, the two of us have a bit of a special situation. I can transfer a horcrux, this one for example," she held up the Locket, "to the horcrux in your head… And then, with the bleed-over of my horcrux in your scar and your soul, they have come aligned closely enough that we can do the ritual again, and attach it to you. My birthday gift to you, Harry," she smiled, "is immortality."

Harry just stood there, dumbfounded.

Immortality. As a fucking birthday present.

After a few seconds, he regained enough of his senses to stagger onto the bed and sit down as he tried to comprehend the gift.

Tess stepped up to him. "Harry?"

He pulled her to him and kissed her fervently, then pushed her on the bed next to him so he could wrap himself around her completely, to express his thanks and the love he felt for her.

"I love you," he told her between his many kisses, "I love you _so much_, Tess. I didn't believe a gift this big was _possible_. Thank you."

She brushed her hand through his hair. "Only the best for you, Harry. This is a much better use for horcruxes than just absorbing them back in my soul, wouldn't you agree?"

"Just one thing," Harry said, still in the process of regaining his senses. "Are you absolutely certain this won't cause insanity for me like creating one yourself does?"

"One hundred percent certain. The insanity is part of the price of the horcrux ritual. The transfer ritual only has the cost of a few ingredients and a limited amount of blood. By the time you get back to the Burrow, Harry, you are immortal whether or not I continue to share your blood, and the price is negligible."

Harry pulled her in another kiss, ravaging her mouth.

With barely a moment of hesitation, he slipped his hands under the shirt she was wearing and started exploring her body. "I love you."

She returned the favor by squeezing his ass. "I love you too."

Harry brought his hands up to pull off her shirt and expose her naked belly, then took off her bra and squeezed her breasts a little before he went on a kissing journey. He started in her neck, down along her throat, further between her breasts, to her belly button, then quickly unzipped her trousers and pulled them down so he could kiss and lick her pussy through her knickers, which was enough to elicit a slight, content moan.

When he let go, she pulled him back towards her and unbuttoned his shirt, took it off and trailed her fingers across his chest. She captured his lips in another kiss, and as she did so, one hand traveled down into his pants to start rubbing his cock.

"Such a _boy_," she said with mock condescension. "Make them happy, and the first thing they think of to repay you is sex."

Even though he knew she was teasing, Harry wanted to defend himself, but the thought left his mind as she kissed him again, opening her mouth for him to enter unimpeded. His hands moved down into her knickers to cup her asscheeks, while she still continued rubbing his dick.

He finally pushed her knickers down her legs, freeing them and leaving her completely nude. For a moment, he pulled back and simply drank in her beauty, but then she pulled down his trousers and boxers in turn and freed his erect shaft. She immediately dived on it and started licking.

Harry groaned at the parseltongue-enhanced pleasure, but quickly pulled her away. She met his eyes with a questioning look.

"I'm thanking _you_," he told her. He slid one hand down to her wet pussy and started rubbing. After a few moments she gave him a lust-filled kiss and started moaning into his mouth. Harry broke the kiss to climb on top of her, then pecked her on the lips quickly. "I love you."

He carefully slid inside her, and they both moaned in pleasure. He quickly started thrusting, keeping his eyes on how her tits bounced as they both opened up their bond completely to lose themselves in each other's pleasure. In that pure bliss, Harry slowly upped his rhythm, savoring every sound leaving her mouth as he satisfied her.

She brought her arms around him, trying to pull her body against him, but he forced her back on the bed and brought his head down to take her nipple in his mouth. She moaned as he flicked it, and he moved one hand up to play with her other breast at the same time, even as he continued pumping. From the bond he felt pleasure started taking her over completely with all stimuli he was giving her. He himself wasn't off much better, and his instincts took over.

He pulled back from her breast and put his hands on her shoulders to pin her to the bed as his thrusts grew rougher. With every motion, he went as deep as he could manage, savoring her constant wails of pleasure. Suddenly, her walls tightened around him as she screamed her orgasm, which pushed Harry over the edge too, and he thrust forward to release as deep inside of her as he possibly could, painting her womb white. He emptied himself completely, then finally pulled out and collapsed on the bed next to her.

Absently, Tess summoned her wand and cast the contraception charm while Harry simply snuggled up to her, peppering her neck with kisses.

She put her arm around him, and he crept even closer, repeating his feelings for her several more times. After a few minutes, she tried to pull away, but relented with a chuckle when Harry held on to her.

"If you want to become immortal today," she told him after another bit of cuddling, "you'll have to let go eventually."

"Eventually," Harry murmured from where his head was pressed into her curves. "Not now." He chuckled. "We have all the time in the world."

"We only have that after the ritual has been performed," Tess said, brushing his hair.

Harry hummed something intelligible.

After a minute or two more, he rolled away from her and stretched. "Alright, let's do it."

Tess sat up from her position, and Harry found himself watching her still uncovered curves as she summoned the Locket to her hand. Next, she summoned some ingredients, most of which Harry recognized from Potions, Herbology or both. She carefully arranged them in a circle on the floor, told Harry to stand inside it, and put the Locket next to Harry.

"Before you ask, I have altered the Locket and the other horcruxes to act in accordance to my current motives, so there won't be any possessing or anything involved even if someone would fall under its spell. Now, the first ritual requires my blood, while normally the second ritual would require a very precise mix between my blood and yours." She smiled her 'it's time for education' smile. "Why does that not matter?"

"Uhh… we share the same blood?"

"Exactly. So, you don't have to do anything. Now, fair warning, we don't need so much blood I'm in danger, but it's still enough to cause some weakness or perhaps nausea." She pointed her wand at her wrist, and blood started pouring out of it into a previously placed cup. More, and more, and more. She started to pale, sweat broke out, and Harry was moments away from stopping her when she did so herself.

"One liter of blood." She dipped in a finger and painted some blood on the Locket, then on Harry's scar. She performed a complex incantation, and suddenly a green mist formed, connecting Harry's scar to the Locket. The ingredients and the blood disintegrated, and the mist disappeared again.

"That was the first half," Tess said. A potion flew from a cupboard into her hand and she downed it in a single go. "Blood replenisher, if you're wondering. I can't do this twice without passing out otherwise. Stay where you are, it's time for the second ritual."

She again gathered all the ingredients, the blood, and then painted the Locket and Harry's chest. She repeated the incantation, and this time the mist connected Harry's chest with the Locket. After the ritual was over, Tess drank another blood replenisher.

"Search your mind," she told Harry, who did so. Everything was just like before, except… There was a connection, much like the bond with Tess, only leading to the Locket instead. When Harry followed it, he found a new, yet familiar place - it was like his mind, only without the consciousness.

"It worked," he said, amazed.

"Congratulations, Harry. You are the first person to ever cheat themselves into obtaining a horcrux without having to murder someone or going insane."

Harry pulled her into a deep kiss, unable to put his thanks in words.

"Happy birthday," Tess told him after they parted again. "Why don't we put our clothes back on and celebrate a little more with the others?"

"Sure." Harry picked up the Locket and put it around Tess's neck. "Will you keep it safe for me?"

She smiled as she put her hand around it. "With my life, Harry."

A few minutes later, they left the bedroom, looking for the others. They found Sirius first, who was reading some muggle magazine. When they entered the room, he gave them a look Harry couldn't decipher.

"Harry," Tess said slowly, "I think we may have forgotten the silencing charm." Harry grew beet red, causing Sirius to erupt in laughter.

"I will admit," the animagus said, "I hadn't expected that to be the present."

Harry needed a few seconds to find his voice. "That wasn't the present, that was the 'thank you'."

"Oh?" Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Then it really must have been quite the present."

"Immortality, no strings attached?" Harry asked, still somewhat disbelieving. "You could say so."

"And just how did you manage that?" Sirius looked at Tess in amazement.

"By manipulating one of my horcruxes to work for Harry instead. Only possible because of our bond and shared blood."

Sirius whistled. "I'll admit, that is quite the present indeed. I feel a little out-done."

Tess laughed. "I don't think immortality is a good bar to use when determining the value of a present."

"No," Harry agreed. "It is not. Anything would be a disappointment then."


	19. Ch 18: Memories and Horcruxes

**AN: I have cried out "I hate book 6" so many times while writing this. Seriously, it's so damn hard to write a non-canon-divergent story and spend more than like two thousand words on year 6. Well, unless you want to rehash all the teenage romance problems, which… the pairing's already established, so that just doesn't work (and wouldn't make for an interesting story even if the pairing hadn't been established yet). Anyway, in the end I didn't even have enough plot for two chapters (I got to 4500 words), so this is the last chapter you get before the finale, and it will cover almost the entire school year. We're almost there!**

**AN: Later on in this chapter, I am going by the assumption that it's common in Britain (like it is in the Netherlands) that people themselves buy fireworks to celebrate New Year's Eve, separate from the government hosting shows. If that's not true, insert some other excuse for Harry sneaking away from the Burrow.**

* * *

**Chapter 18: Memories and Horcruxes**

* * *

Draco Malfoy knelt before the Dark Lady Voldemort.

Tess was feeling a little annoyed at that. Okay, perhaps more than a little. The boy's father had died doing Death Eater things not two months back, and did Draco back out and decide he didn't want anything to do with such dangerous practices?

No, of course not.

That would be _sensible_.

Instead, he did what he could to find her – and she didn't make herself easy to be found, trying to keep her location hidden specifically to _avoid_ people signing up to their deaths – but here he was.

"My L-Lady." He couldn't even keep the tremble out of his voice. The idiot. "My father has brought disgrace to our cause with his failure at the Ministry. Please, let me take his place among your ranks to make up for his mistakes."

Tess barely kept in a sigh. The boy had been completely indoctrinated, so much was obvious. One thing she knew for sure, no child should die for whatever reason, even if their beliefs were the ones she was otherwise weeding out completely.

"I have no need for the services of a teenager," she told him coldly.

"Please!" he begged. Perhaps she should show Harry the memory; he'd probably enjoy watching Draco Malfoy beg. "I can serve you, I'll do whatever you ask of me." Okay, you know what, that's just a stupid thing to say in front of an evil, powerful person, _in particular_ if you're the opposite gender. Though that thought was perhaps influenced by her being a woman herself.

"No."

"Please! I'll, I'll… I'll even kill for you if you ask me to."

Tess put a quick illusion (with noise canceling) over her face to appear impassive, then closed her eyes and sighed deeply. Why won't the idiot have any self-preservation? Even most of the long-time Death Eaters would happily have walked away if she told them she didn't require their services anymore.

"Yes? You would kill for me?"

One thing she felt pretty certain about. The boy, at this point in time, did not have it in him to kill someone. At the very least not directly.

"Of course, my Lady! Whatever you ask of me."

Perhaps she could give him a task he would never succeed in anyway, just to keep him off her back.

"Then I know someone you can kill for me. Albus Dumbledore. You have one year."

Draco drew in a shuddered breath. "A-Albus Dumbledore, my Lady?"

"Do I need to repeat myself?"

"N-no, of course not. It's just… he is so much stronger than me, how could I ever beat him?"

Tess honestly considered crucioing him simply to drive him away. "Are you a Gryffindor, who simply charges in and attacks his opponent in plain sight?"

He ducked his head. "No, my Lady."

"Then stop thinking like one. You are a Slytherin, behave like it. Take the smart path, not the stupid one." Nicely doubling as warning that he should _not_ pledge himself in service to a Dark Lady who got dozens of followers killed recently.

Draco nodded, then waited in silence.

So did Tess.

After a few seconds, he warily looked up and asked his question. "My Lady, will I not receive the Dark Mark?"

"No," Tess said. "You will first have to prove that you deserve it. Complete this task I have set out for you, and you will receive it. Now get out."

Draco scrambled for the exit. Tess would have to ask Harry to keep an eye on him too. Not that Draco was capable of any real subtlety (and would therefore have any real chance of success), but still.

* * *

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny had found themselves an empty compartment in the train and were happily discussing a multitude of things, free of the gloom that seemed to hold the rest of the train and were after a few minutes joined by Neville.

After the greetings, he went straight for the question that seemed to be on his mind. "Will you meet with Tess again this year?"

Harry nodded. "I wasn't planning on changing that."

"Could Bella come along occasionally?" he asked hesitantly.

"Of course," Harry replied. He barked a laugh. "Our lives are crazy, aren't they?"

Neville nodded. "Friends with Bellatrix... It's a good thing my gran doesn't know."

They laughed again, and just then Luna walked in, as if by accident.

"Ah," Harry said, immediately turning to her. "Luna, I've been meaning to ask you something."

She turned to look at him and sat down on a free seat without taking her eyes off him. "What about?"

"You said you had a book on horcruxes at home, right?"

She nodded. "Daddy has it. Why?"

"Is there any chance he could mail it to Hogwarts? I want to look a few things up."

Hermione frowned. "Couldn't you just ask Tess?"

Harry smiled. "Tess's knowledge of horcruxes is, or at least was, less than can be found in the book Luna has. Also, I want this to remain a secret for Tess."

"No problem," Luna said, smiling. "I'll send an owl this evening."

"Thanks Luna," Harry said.

With that, they went back to all kinds of small talk. Nothing of note happened, not even Malfoy coming along to gloat. Perhaps, Harry thought, Tess's constant attempts to dismiss him followed by her refusal to give him a Dark Mark had taught him some humility.

* * *

The year started… well, quite boring for Harry. He wasn't being ridiculed, there were no insane ministry officials after him – let alone Dark Ladies or their right-hand men – and for once everyone actually believed Harry was 'a beacon of truth' and that kind of stuff. Which was actually quite funny considering he was misleading the entire country on the very topic they were talking about.

Anyway, Tess had asked him to keep an eye on Malfoy, and he'd informed the others as well to make sure the ferret (Tess had laughed so hard when Harry showed her _that_ memory) wouldn't cause any harm.

Snape had taken up Defense Against the Dark Arts, which would have bothered Harry more if Tess hadn't reigned the man in last year. Harry's performance in the subject was good enough that even Snape had to grudgingly admit he was doing it right, in particular with all the lessons he'd received from Tess that together put him around NEWT-level already, and on top of that it seemed Snape was a little less sour now with the knowledge he'd likely get to quit teaching dunderheads by the end of the year.

The first Saturday of the year, Harry had received a private lesson from Dumbledore. Both he and Tess (and everyone else aware) had been very curious what it had been about. As it turned out, Dumbledore had shown him a memory of a ministry official visiting the Gaunt family, and they had discussed the history of Tess's family. Which wasn't a very happy tale. Harry hadn't completely understood the importance, however, until Tess pointed out that both the Ring and the Locket, two of her horcruxes, showed up. Even though neither was actually _still_ a horcrux of hers.

_So he wants to teach me about the horcruxes, then?_ he speculated after he'd left the office.

_Most likely. You'd have to know about them in order to defeat me. Knowing Dumbledore, he probably also believes you have to know about my past in order to understand me and fight me._

_In other words, these lessons are probably a waste of time._

Tess chuckled. _It seems like it. I do want to continue watching along, though. Perhaps I could learn something from it, after all, it _is_ some fifty years ago I was a kid._

_It's still weird to remember you're so much older than me._

_In a century or two it doesn't matter at all._

Harry chuckled. _No, I imagine it won't. _He turned serious. _I can barely believe how abusive those two were to your mother. No wonder she resorted to desperate measures._

Tess took a moment before replying.

_What she did is still wrong_, she said. _No matter how desperate she was, a love potion is still rape, even if the victim at the time thinks they consent. In a way, that makes it even more gruesome._ A brief silence ensued, then she spoke again: _Harry, I want you to promise me something._

_What is it?_

_My youth, as you know, was hard, but don't use that to excuse the actions I took, actions Dumbledore will no doubt show you. You can look at the circumstances, reason about my thought process at the time, and that way understand my thought process, like you can understand my mother's thought process when she potioned my father, but that does not mean you should not condemn my actions, just like you should condemn my mother's actions. I know you have already accepted I have done horrible things, even before I lost my sanity, and don't hold it against me, but you shouldn't forget it either._

Harry carefully thought over her words, not wanting to give an answer before he fully understood her meaning. _I won't,_ he said eventually.

_Do not let your love for me cloud your judgement_, Tess added.

Harry replied with the mental idea of shaking his head. _I won't let that happen, Tess. Not now, not ever. I promise. I will not excuse your actions. They are part of who you were and why you became who you are today. Denying they were wrong would be denying that you changed._

_Thank you, Harry. I love you._

_I love you._

* * *

"_Crucio_!" Tess snarled. At the moment, it required no effort to bring up the emotion needed to cast it. Her target screamed, and she held the curse on him for a few seconds longer before letting go. He was breathing heavily when she did so.

At the moment, Tess could barely see his age, or his lack of a Dark Mark.

"Mr Malfoy, please tell me, what did I order you?"

"T-to kill Albus Dumbledore," he whimpered.

"And what did you _do_?"

"I-I imperiused a Gryffindor to bring him a cursed necklace."

"Why did you decide on this plan?"

"It-it seemed easier to me than to try to get at him directly."

"Let me walk you through some very basic considerations, Mr Malfoy. I will expect you to answer each of my questions correctly. First, what were the chances your target would get to Albus Dumbledore with the cursed item without anyone questioning her actions?"

"I didn't know this would—"

"_Crucio_!"

This time, Tess held the curse only a few seconds.

"Answer. My. Question." she growled. "How would events have to unfold for your plan to work?"

"She just had to walk to the castle and give it to Dumbledore," Draco said.

"Mr Malfoy, do you remember what I told you when you begged to serve me? Let me aid you. You are a Slytherin, not a Gryffindor. Was this a Slytherin action, or a Gryffindor action?"

Draco clearly fought with himself, believing it was a Slytherin action, but understanding she considered it a Gryffindor action. She did not want to send more curses at him than needed, however, so she answered for him.

"This was a Gryffindor action. You went in with a half-baked plan, and prayed it would work out. You did not prepare for contingencies, or create any fail-safes. For your plan to work, you first had to hope the imperius curse would go unnoticed. Then, you would have to hope no one would be curious why your target had an unknown package and was unwilling to tell anyone what was inside. Then, you would need your target to slip it past any possible dark magic detection at Hogwarts. Then, you would need your target to deliver your item to Albus Dumbledore. _Then_, you would need Albus Dumbledore to not suspect this package. Let me remind you that his right hand has quite obviously been cursed during the summer. Therefore, it stands to reason he will currently be on his guard even more than normal, having recently received a painful reminder.

"And last of all, if just any of these steps would go wrong – none of which you prepared for – it would be revealed someone had been trying to smuggle a dangerous cursed item into Hogwarts for unknown purposes, and with that happening it means that the entire faculty _is now on their guard_ for any more attempts. You just made your task significantly harder. I have half a mind to simply dispose of you now and look for someone less stupid, but you are in luck, as it would be too noteworthy if the last member of an influential family like the Malfoys would suddenly lose their life as well. But let me make clear that this is your very last chance. I will not tolerate another failed attempt from you, nor any side casualties. If anyone other than Albus Dumbledore is in any way harmed, permanently or temporarily, due to your attempts at killing him, you forfeit your life. On top of that, you will run all your future plans by your aunt Bellatrix before executing them. Now out of my sight."

Draco scrambled away.

Tess sighed and hung back in her throne-like chair. This had been far too close. If Harry and his friends hadn't been on their guard, Katie Bell might very well have lost her life to Draco's foolishness, and it would have – indirectly – been Tess's fault. Once the war was over, she would have to issue the girl a personal apology for not keeping Draco on a tighter leash if nothing else.

She rubbed her face in her hands. Avoiding casualties was so much harder than making them could ever be. Without Bella, without Sirius, Cedric and Amelia, it would have been absolutely impossible. But as it was, Death Eater numbers were slowly dwindling, the dementors were being very gloomy and everything all over the country without actually devouring any souls, and her imperius tree in the Ministry was coming along nicely as well.

That also allowed her much more indirect control over what happened around there, as the Death Eaters manipulating the Ministry halls thought they were getting more support, while in reality they were opposed everywhere they couldn't see it, and most imperiused wizards and witches didn't fight the curse too hard, as they at least partially agreed with the goals the curse was trying to make them achieve.

And tomorrow would be Harry's next lesson with Dumbledore. Personally, Tess suspected he'd show him the memory of when she received her letter, though she'd refused to show Harry so he wouldn't be able to give anything away.

* * *

_Can I see you?_ Harry asked. _In the Shrieking Shack?_

_In the… Harry, it's far too late for you to be out in the castle._

_I know it's late. I just… I want to see you. I can sneak back into the castle tomorrow morning and Ron and Nev can cover for my absence._

Harry felt Tess's sigh. _Because of the memory?_

_Yes_, Harry admitted.

_Alright then. I'll see you there._

Harry got the Cloak out of his pocket while walking and put it on, changing direction to the front door and, from there, making his way to the tunnel and eventually finding himself at the Shrieking Shack. Tess, of course, was already there when he arrived.

She smiled when he took his Cloak off, and he stepped to her, putting his hand on her cheek, indulging the expression of kindness and love that Dumbledore had said she wasn't capable of. A moment later, she captured his lips in a gentle, loving kiss. When they parted from the kiss, he put his arms around her in an embrace, drinking in her beautiful grey eyes.

"Why exactly did you want to see me?" she asked softly.

"I just..." Harry struggled with his words a little. "I just needed to remind myself that you're not who you were, I suppose. The way Dumbledore talked about you, not knowing how you've changed… You're not friendless, not without wanting friends, and I just… needed to remember that."

She gave him another quick kiss, and looked at him with a smile. "And here I am, Harry. Don't forget that Dumbledore, when he's looking at these memories, and the other ones he has, the ones of my time at Hogwarts, he's doing it with the knowledge I became Voldemort. That changes his view. And on top of that, he's not wrong. I didn't have friends, back then. I didn't believe I needed them. I would even go as far as saying I didn't understand what friends were like."

Harry pulled her close against his himself, savoring her warmth, her body.

"What about the other things you saw?" she asked. "Is there anything you want to talk about?"

"What about those two children in the cave?"

"I didn't know what I did at the time, but I later figured out I used compulsion charms so they'd do whatever I wanted. A more basic version of the imperius, really."

Harry let out a relieved sigh. "I was worried it was some kind of torture."

Tess nodded. "I think that's what Dumbledore believed too. Until I made the horcruxes I only used violence as a last resort though. If possible, I'd always go for blackmail first, then compulsions, both before and after I knew what they were. When I made the horcruxes I became impatient and started using the cruciatus instead." She sighed, still leaning into him. "Never again."

"Never again," Harry agreed. "I want to be with you tonight, Tess. So that I won't forget who you are now."

She kissed him again. "Then we'll sleep here."

* * *

During one dinner at Riddle Manor, Bella brought up something.

"Draco has a new plan to kill Dumbledore," she said simply.

"What is it?" Amelia asked cautiously. She was still not really on board with Tess's choice to give the boy the task, worried he might actually succeed.

"He has discovered the second of a pair of Vanishing Cabinets," Bella explained. "The other one can be found in Borgin and Burkes. However, he needs to repair the Hogwarts one first. After that, he wants to lead some Death Eaters through it to surpass the Hogwarts wards."

Tess nodded, impressed. "That is a much better plan than I expected him to come up with. If he doesn't solve it too quickly, we can use it as the last move of the war. Hogwarts is perfect for ambushes and the like."

"And it puts Dumbledore in comparatively little danger," Amelia added.

"Not to mention it'll mean we can most likely get your NEWTs done this year, Cedric," Tess teased.

He groaned, causing the rest of the table to erupt in laughter.

* * *

Harry had only learned of Tess's birthday from Dumbledore's lessons. She'd never brought it up, and he had forgotten to ask. When he _did_ mention it, she told him she hadn't ever celebrated it, apart from the obligatory and very awkward celebrations at the orphanage. With the plans he had, it was only convenient to change that. Plus, he believed she should celebrate it anyway.

So, on New Year's Eve he snuck away from the Burrow with Ron and Ginny, supposedly to watch the muggle fireworks (as well as light a few magical ones), but as soon as they crossed the wardline they found Tess, who apparated Harry to Riddle Manor, where he immediately gave her a birthday kiss.

"Happy birthday," he told her once they parted. "And from now on, we're celebrating this every year." He bopped her nose – one of the few parts of her body not covered by thick winter clothing – which made her giggle.

"Shall we get inside first?"

Harry hummed in agreement. "Good idea, don't want to freeze my bits off." He kept his arm around her waist as they started walking.

"I don't think your bits are what you need to be scared of. And I'll help you keep them warm if needed."

Harry chuckled, mist forming in front of his mouth. "That doesn't make me any less scared about them."

Together they made their way inside, where Harry carefully slipped his wand out of its holster and pointed it at Tess.

"_Stupefy._"

* * *

Tess blinked at the light as she regained awareness. She tried to determine where she was. She'd been… alone with Harry, right? Why would he possibly have stunned her? Before she did anything else, she reached out through the bond, trying to find out if he was awake, if he would let her in… and suddenly found herself stumbling around, barely able to figure out where the border between their minds was.

She sat up from the bed she was lying on, and noticed Harry was sitting on the edge, smiling at her.

"Harry?" she asked. "What happened?"

He lowered himself next to her and leaned forward for a kiss, but she held him back. "What happened?"

He smiled even more and held up the Locket that she'd been wearing ever since she'd gifted it to him, then carelessly threw it over his shoulder. It clanged to the ground. "I gave you your birthday present."

"My… birthday present?" Something with the Locket, and their bond had clearly changed, they were much closer to one another now... Suddenly, the answer hit her.

"You transferred your horcrux to my body!"

Harry grinned and kissed her. "That I did. You don't deserve anything less than a part of me as your birthday present, Tess."

She put her arms around him in a hug, barely containing her giddiness. "I can't believe it, Harry."

"Why not?" he asked, seemingly genuinely confused. "I trust you with the container of my horcrux, but I trust you even more _as_ my horcrux."

She kissed him again. "What have I ever done to deserve so much trust, Harry?" She nuzzled up against him as she waited for an answer. It took him a few moments to come up with one.

"You've turned my life around. Tess, I had friends, a mentor, a godfather, but until I met you, I didn't have someone who could look out for my every need. Someone to talk to during the summer. To have my back during the trial. To make sure I was treated fairly at school. To give freedom to my godfather. To… to give me _immortality_ as a birthday present." He chuckled. "And to top it off, you don't give a rat's arse about my fame, you don't want to know me because of it, you don't want me to perform a certain role because of it, nothing at all. There is no one with who I can be myself as much as with you."

"With what I've done…" He put a finger on her lips to quiet her.

"You are not that person anymore. We both know that. You are not Voldemort, and will never be Voldemort again. She is a thing of the past. You took the wrong path in life, and you burned yourself so badly that no matter what happens, you will never – _never_ – walk that path again. You are the last person on this planet to ever go dark, Tess. Because no one knows how destructive it is like you do."

She wriggled against him, trying to get even closer. "I don't deserve you, Harry. Don't ever change."

He chuckled. "I'll try."

* * *

Harry mentally knocked on Tess's occlumency shields. Since he'd given her his horcrux, their bond had opened further to the point where they tended to subtly influence one another, primarily emotionally, but they'd found themselves having the same thought at the same time more than once. Because of that, they'd gotten into the habit of putting up some shields when caution was required – like when Harry was having a private lesson from Dumbledore.

Of course, Tess pulled her shields down the moment Harry knocked.

_What did you watch this time?_ Tess asked.

By means of an answer, Harry pushed the memories into her mind; that was something that went much easier now, as well. He gave Tess a moment to absorb the memory before asking his first question.

_Why did you frame your uncle?_

_I was almost as angry at him as I was at the Riddles at the time,_ Tess said with a hint of regret. _And to be fair, he was little if any better than the Death Eaters. Even if my reasons at the time were different and more selfish, he wouldn't have survived this war either._

Harry nodded mentally. _That's a fair point._

_I'm not sure if I can ever forgive my family_, Tess admitted. _Not like how you have forgiven the Dursleys._

Harry rummaged through her mind (she no doubt noticed, but let it happen) and pulled up the memory of how she'd cuddled against him on her birthday, bringing it to her senses as vividly as he could in an attempt to replicate the feeling for her, even though he wasn't near. _Don't rule it out yet. Perhaps one day, you'll find you can._

She returned a mental smile. _So much faith, at any time. Thank you, Harry. Anyway,__ you want to have the memory of me discussing horcruxes with Slughorn, I suppose?_

_Perhaps not immediately,_ Harry said. _I'll try to get it out of him first, if I succeed then it's authentic, if it fails we can use yours and claim it just took me a while, and I think Dumbledore will just believe I got it out of Slughorn._

She nodded mentally. _That sounds like a good plan. You're learning, Harry._

He chuckled. _I blame the bad influences on my horcrux._

Tess (mentally) hummed in thought. _Perhaps dying doesn't actually grant sanity, and it was bad influences on my horcrux for me as well… Though, that doesn't explain Bella. I guess I need a new theory._

They laughed. _Good luck with that_, Harry said.

* * *

A few weeks later Harry had another private lesson with Dumbledore. He hadn't managed to get the memory from Slughorn (the man had actually been quite angry when Harry had tried to get it from him), but he didn't have too much trouble weathering Dumbledore's disappointment. The memories were becoming more grim, but considering these were from when Tess had already made several horcruxes, Harry wasn't surprised – this was the first glimpse of Lady Voldemort, rather than the girl he loved.

Conveniently, Harry 'retrieved' the horcrux memory several days later, and finally Dumbledore told him what he already knew, namely that Tess had made several horcruxes. Dumbledore explained how he was hunting hocruxes, and promised Harry to go along to the next one. Hopefully, Tess could feed him information at the correct times so that he would 'find' the next horcrux location when she was ready to make her final move.

* * *

**AN: As I promised in the last author note, everything has now been written. The final chapter will be uploaded on Saturday or Sunday, I'm not entirely sure yet which. After that I intend to upload an epilogue as well as a bonus chapter exploring the possibly of Harry being judged guilty at his fifth year trial. It may take a little longer before they are uploaded, or it may happen quickly.**

**AN: ALSO, very important message: A few days back, I have uploaded the first chapter of _Riddle of the Ages_, which will be my biggest project (including any other projects I may write in the future). Now that I am done with The Advantages of Being Sane, I will focus primarily on RotA. The premise is this, though I have a few big surprises in store: ****At the age of seven, Harry Potter meets the new neighbors, including twin sisters his age. When he introduces himself, they recognize his name. Four years later, a very different Harry Potter takes the train to Hogwarts. More information can be found in the story's author note, as I didn't want to try to fit that in the summary (that I copied here).**


	20. Ch 19: The Great Deception

**AN: As I already mentioned, I normally write chronologically, but I wrote this chapter before the last one as it was the only thing left I could write without access to the books. Enjoy the ride! (and remember, there's still an epilogue and bonus chapter coming at _some_ point after this. I don't know for sure if I'll write either immediately after or not)**

**AN: Call me out on it if you want, but I made a minor change to Tess's reasoning for opening the Chamber in 5th year. And no, I'm not sorry for the resulting inconsistency.**

**AN: Also, just saying this again: ****The first chapter of my next – and much bigger – project, Riddle of the Ages, has been uploaded a few days back****, be sure to check it out.** **Summary: At the age of seven, Harry Potter meets the new neighbors, including twin sisters his age. When he introduces himself, they recognize his name. Four years later, a very different Harry Potter takes the train to Hogwarts. Also see the local AN for more information.**

* * *

**Chapter 19: The Great Deception**

* * *

"Harry Potter?" a nervous third year asked.

"Yes?"

"Professor Dumbledore asked me to send you to him immediately."

"Well, in that case I'd better not let him wait."

_Tess, Dumbledore is moving._

_Good. Death Eaters are ready. Inform the others._

"Nev, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, tonight it is. Inform Luna and Snape and be in position."

After they confirmed they got the message, Harry did his final preparations and made his way to Dumbledore's office. The headmaster was already waiting for him.

"I believe I may have found a horcrux, Harry," he told him.

"Really?" Harry asked enthusiastically. "Where?"

"In the cave where the young Tess brought the two children Mrs Cole mentioned. Come, we'll fly to Hogsmeade and apparate from there."

Harry followed Dumbledore down the stairs.

"How do we destroy it?" he asked. There wouldn't be a horcrux of course - even the soulpiece that had once resided there wasn't Tess's anymore - but telling Dumbledore that would be counterproductive. Very counterproductive.

"The Sword of Gryffindor," Dumbledore replied. "As you know it was imbued with basilisk venom, which gives it the ability to destroy horcruxes, just like I did with the ring."

_After putting it on like an idiot_, Harry thought to himself.

They made their way to the Astronomy Tower, where two broomsticks were waiting for them, and swiftly flew to Hogsmeade. Once there, they stored the broomsticks in a hidden nook next to a building.

"I'll side-apparate you," Dumbledore said, "as you do not know the location. I also want to make one thing very clear, and that is that you will follow my orders without hesitation or questioning. Understood?"

Harry nodded resolutely. "Understood, headmaster."

"Then let us go." Harry grabbed Dumbledore's arm, and they apparated to a rocky coast.

"The cave was hidden by magic," Dumbledore continued, "but last week I found a trail I could lead back here. Draw your wand, just in case."

Harry did so.

"We'll first have to go down here and wade through the water."

Yeah. Harry would rather avoid that. He let himself fall slightly behind Dumbledore, pointed his wand at the older wizard, and cast a silent expelliarmus.

* * *

Neville immediately took charge as Harry left through the portait hole.

"Ginny, get Luna from Ravenclaw tower. Ron, get McGonagall from her office, Hermione, get Flitwick. Everyone meet me at Snape's office."

He rushed through the castle to the dungeons, quickly finding Snape's office and knocking on the door.

"Mr Longbottom?" Snape drawled.

"It's tonight," Neville said. "We need to be ready to jump the ambush."

"Then let us get moving," Snape said, walking past Neville.

"Actually, professor," Neville warily interrupted him, "the others are coming in this direction, including professors McGonagall and Flitwick."

Snape nodded and moved to stand at the side of the corridor, ignoring Neville, which suited him just fine.

A few minutes later everyone had arrived, including a confused McGonagall and Flitwick. Snape immediately led the way, explaining as they went.

"Please listen carefully," he said. "The Death Eaters have been planning an attack on Hogwarts, and they are going to attack us this very evening, most likely within an hour. However, we know they will come, we know how they will enter Hogwarts, we have had time to prepare a trap, and the Death Eaters are led by a mole. Our mole will lead them through a previously prepared corridor, which we will collapse as soon as the mole is through. Any survivors will be captured or, if needed, killed."

"What?" McGonagall exclaimed. "We can't-"

"Minerva," Snape interrupted sharply, "we are fighting a war. If it eases your conscience, no one will ask you to kill someone yourself. Only the mole and perhaps me will fire any lethal curses, the rest of you are simply here to help ensure we suffer no casualties."

"Would that not expose the mole?" Flitwick asked.

"Yes," Snape said. "This was considered the best course of action for reasons that are probably easier to explain after the fact."

"Is Dumbledore aware of this plan?" McGonagall asked.

"No. He does not know of this mole, and could therefore not be informed of this plan. It was conceived by the mole and a hidden ally, who should also be revealed tonight if all goes according to plan."

"So who are they?" Flitwick asked.

"I don't think we have time for that right now," Neville hedged.

"Surely you can just give us the names," Flitwick said.

"I have to agree with Mr Longbottom," Snape interrupted. "Simply giving their names is not a possibility. The Death Eaters will be smuggled into the castle through a vanishing cabinet operated by Draco Malfoy, on the seventh floor. The mole will then lead the Death Eaters to a prepared corridor on the fifth floor. The mole will be walking in front, together with Malfoy.

"Our hidden ally has ordered us to avoid the use of lethal force against Malfoy in the hope he may be shown the error of his ways. Because of the deeds willingly performed by the other Death Eaters, our hidden ally has not issued such an order regarding the others, except of course our mole. The mole can be recognized by a violet band on their cloak."

"You cannot tell us who this hidden ally is?" Flitwick asked.

"They will be meeting Dumbledore this evening, after which he will inform everyone else. But we have arrived. Filius, Miss Lovegood, Miss Weasley, Mr Longbottom, take up position in the hidden corridor behind the tapestry. I will take up position behind the corner with Minerva, Mr Weasley and Miss Granger. Filius, the students will form an adaptive-offensive-defensive trio, act as mage. I will take position as adaptive in our trio, with Minerva as mage. Once the corridor collapses, wait five seconds then close in."

Neville followed Flitwick to the tapestry. As a mage, the professor would use the protection and threat of the trio to be able to cast complex spells independently without being interrupted.

"You know these tactics?" a surprised Flitwick asked once they were in the hidden corridor.

"We were taught last year in the DA," Neville explained. "The defense club Harry set up because Umbridge didn't teach us anything."

"And how did Harry know them?"

"He learned them from the hidden ally Snape mentioned."

"I would very much like to meet this hidden ally," Flitwick said. "I am curious as to why I haven't heard about him before."

"There are good reasons for that."

Ginny barked a laugh. "You could say so."

* * *

The Elder Wand suddenly slipped out of Albus's hand. Surprised, he turned to find Harry holding it.

"Harry?" he inquired.

"I'm sorry, professor, but I couldn't think of another way," he said in an emotionless voice. What was he talking about? "And neither could she." Harry pulled up the sleeve of his cloak, and Albus's heart stopped for a full second when he saw what was hidden underneath.

By the time Albus got over his shock, Harry had already pressed the Dark Mark. Before working on figuring out any reasons or theories, Albus's mind immediately considered his options. He had some ability for wandless magic, but even three years ago he'd be hard-pressed to win a fight against Harry at such a disadvantage. The boy also kept himself at a distance, so muggle means of obtaining a wand were unavailable. Apparating away at this moment would obviously equal forfeiting the war. That left getting Harry to talk. Hopefully, Albus could find a way out of this situation.

"Why?" he asked. Now, he started thinking about why Harry could be a Death Eater - a_ Death Eater_!_ Harry_! How could he possibly have decided to join Voldemort, and how could Albus possibly have missed Harry's turn? There was no way he would have joined her after seeing what she had done, mutilating her own soul. Before that, certainly Sirius's death would have been too fresh on his mind. Though he had not been nearly as downcast as Albus would have expected. Would he have turned before? Accepted his death as an unavoidable casualty? Had he turned during fifth year? Had Albus pushed him that far away in his attempt to distance himself? Surely not; Harry had never even reacted to that, it was as if Albus's distance to him hadn't bothered him at all. In fact, he'd also barely reacted to the events in the graveyard, except on the evening itself. Had he perhaps lied, had he already turned on the eve of Voldemort's resurrection?

Albus could think, could theorize, but nothing could have prepared him for Harry's actual answer. The boy calmly raised an eyebrow. "Have you seen how _hot_ she is?"

_Nothing_ could have prepared Albus. He stood there, slack-jawed at the flippant response.

"Wha- Harry?" he eventually managed to bring out.

"She's hot," Harry repeated with a shrug, as if that explained everything.

It was decades ago that Albus had been this stumped - if it had ever happened. For one moment, the possibility of a love potion entered his mind, but there was no way Harry could have been kept under it while at Hogwarts.

He just didn't know how to possibly continue this conversation. However, moments later that became irrelevant anyway as a pop of apparation sounded and Voldemort appeared. Harry immediately dropped on one knee and averted his face. "My Lady."

She barely spared him a glance before turning to Albus, a small smile on her lips. "What a ride it has been, hasn't it?" she gloated. "And now here you are, defenseless before me, simply because you had never imagined the possibility Harry Potter would raise his wand against you."

She turned back to the boy. "You have done well, Harry, and brought me Dumbledore, powerless. For this, I will grant you a reward."

He peeked up briefly. There was no way this would end well, Albus thought. The woman wanted Harry dead more than anything, not to mention they were destined to kill one another according to the prophecy. Albus found himself without hope. There was no way out of this. Even if he would apparate away now, Voldemort could follow him. Beyond that... Harry had been the only hope of the light. If he had joined her, then surely he would not have told Ron and Hermione about the horcruxes. That meant the knowledge would die with Albus.

"What kind of reward?" Harry asked hesitantly.

"Name it."

"Anything I want?"

"Anything you want."

"In that case," Harry fumbled in his pocket for something and held it out to her, now looking straight at her, "Tess Merope Riddle, will you marry me?"

Albus froze.

The world froze.

Did Harry have a death wish?

He was done for.

He was-

Voldemort tackled Harry to the ground, her lips full on his in a passionate kiss, and the boy started laughing.

_What_ in the _world_ was going on?

Harry gently pushed Voldemort away so he could talk. "You're breaking your role, Tess."

"And _you_ didn't tell me you were planning this."

He laughed. "That would ruin the surprise, wouldn't it?"

Albus took in the scene in an equal mixture of disbelief and confusion.

"Well," Voldemort said, "we might as well give your dear headmaster an explanation, hm?"

Harry stood and also pulled up Voldemort, whose entire demeanor had changed. Gone was the cold, dark sadist, and instead she… acted like a normal woman. She flicked her wand, and three comfortable chairs appeared. "Please, sit down," she told Albus, who decided it was best to comply. The quicker he could find out just what was going on, the better. Whether or not this was the end of his life.

Before Voldemort could take a seat for herself, Harry sat down and pulled her into his lap, arms around her waist. She gave him a quick, surprised look, then vanished the third chair and leaned into him, perfectly at ease with him taking the lead like that.

Harry planted a quick kiss in her neck. "I'm not going to tell your story."

"Yes," she said, locking her eyes on Albus. "My story. I suppose I can skip a few parts and move straight to horcruxes, right? I suppose you are also aware of the entire 'the horcrux ritual causes the one performing it to go insane' deal?"

Albus nodded hesitantly.

"I also assume you were _not_ aware that your body dying while being kept alive by horcruxes returns your sanity?"

_What_? Albus was quite sure his shock showed on his face.

Voldemort nodded to herself. "If you'd have known, you would have reacted very differently to the news of my return and even of my survival as a whole.

"As it stands, my body's death had a rather… profound effect on my state of mind." She leaned into Harry again, clearly trying to be as close to him as she could. "What do you do, what do you even _think_, when the blur of insanity disappears and you recognize yourself as a mass murderer, a warlord?"

"And yet you continued your ways," Albus pointed out.

"Oh, but that's the thing, I didn't. Barty Crouch, who impersonated Moody, was the first to die. Six Death Eaters died in the Azkaban breakout. Nine died at the Ministry. More died in various raids, or because of real or made-up failures. Today, Bellatrix leads the last nine remaining Death Eaters into a trap at Hogwarts, prepared by Severus with the aid of Harry's friends. The people who found themselves caught in my imperius tree will be freed tonight, and over the past months they have been working against the Death Eaters while only appearing to work in their favor, and the dementors will be back at Azkaban by morning."

"Cedric Diggory, Sirius Black, Amelia Bones."

Voldemort hopped off Harry's lap and apparated away without uttering a word in response. Albus gave Harry a pensive look.

"Why did you let yourself be marked? Even if she claims to have changed…" He trailed off when Harry cast a finite at his arm and the Mark disappeared.

"An illusion," Harry said. He chuckled. "I blame my Marauder heritage."

That brought Albus's thoughts back to Sirius. "Harry, are you just going to ignore that your godfather _died_ for whatever plan she came up with?"

Harry smiled. "I am not ignoring anything. You'll see."

"And your parents?"

"Headmaster, Tess can't truly be considered the same person that killed my parents. All you can blame her for is making horcruxes while being ignorant of the side effects. And she's done everything she can to make amends, headmaster, and then some."

Just then, several pops of apparation sounded as Voldemort returned, together with the very three - supposedly dead - people Albus had just mentioned.

"In some situations," Voldemort said, "a death had to be faked because the lack of one would be suspicious. Do you really believe Harry would have kept my secret if people around him were dying for it?" She smiled and plopped herself down on Harry's lap again.

"By the way," Harry said, peeking over her shoulder, "it was of course Sirius who came up with pranking you. Who else?"

"And I want a pensive memory," Sirius said.

"It should make your day," Harry laughed.

Albus, who had by now gotten over this latest shock - though he seemed to become a bit numb to them by now - moved on to the next question burning on his tongue. "How did you live?" he asked Sirius.

"Tess used an area of effect obliviation," Harry answered.

"She was not even there," Albus pointed out, suddenly realizing Harry consistently called her by her birth name.

"She was," Harry objected. "She was there under my Invisibility Cloak. At least half the Death Eaters died to her spells. And the other half to Bellatrix," he added.

Albus frowned. "That's the second time you mention Bellatrix."

"She had made a horcrux on my urging," Voldemort said. "Throw in some Black madness, and you've seen the result in the war. Soon after the Azkaban outbreak, I killed and then resurrected her to return her sanity, she's been helping out as field lieutenant since. Her particular brand of madness, which she could fake extremely well, has been incredibly effective in thinning the Death Eater ranks without causing suspicion."

"And why would you do this, kill the Death Eaters, rather than simply _not_ starting up another war and leaving everyone be?" Albus asked accusingly.

"Because the Death Eaters are willing to kill while not, like I did, suffering from insanity or anything like that. I had made two horcruxes before I was willing to kill for gain, and I had made four by the time I killed for the sake of killing. The blood supremacy sentiment is a threat to our society, as the war has proven, and many of the people sharing that sentiment are powerful enough they can keep themselves out of prison despite their crimes. If I wanted to make sure no one could continue where I left the war when I returned to sanity, I saw two choices.

"One, kill all Death Eaters myself, as I knew all their identities. I'd be a vigilante, but the bigger problem is that many of them were considered respected members of society, and I wasn't going to convince anyone of importance they were murderers and torturers without revealing myself, at which point I would be the one put in prison and they might just buy their way out anyway. Two, and this is what I went with, engineer situations where their deaths exposed them as Death Eaters."

"And why did you feel the need to hide your new sentiments from me?" Albus had a strong suspicion, but he wanted to hear it.

"Because you would never consent to engineering the death of anyone, not even murderers that escaped justice already."

"All killing is wrong," Albus stated firmly.

Voldemort jumped out of Harry's lap again and walked up to him. "Sometimes, a limb needs to be removed for the survival of the body." She put her wand on his right arm and chuckled. "Luckily, that's not needed when removing one's own magic." She spoke a few incantations, and life flowed back into Albus's arm. With wonder, he stretched his fingers.

"But our society did need a festering limb cut off," Voldemort continued, "for it was killing the body and could not be cured by any medicine. I can know; I've worked with the limb for a decade."

She looked Albus straight in the eye. "After today, I hope to never take another life again, be it directly or by proxy. I would ask forgiveness for what I did these last two years, but I still stand behind my choices during this time. Instead, I will ask for understanding. I chose this method because these people would willingly tear apart society for their beliefs. As I just said, even I needed _two_ horcruxes before my mental state had deteriorated to the point where I was willing to kill for my own gain, and the Death Eaters are willing to kill for less than that."

"And yet you have no problem doing it now," Albus pointed out.

"I am not doing this to further my own goals. If I had wanted to do that, I would have disappeared, created a new identity and gone on to live a new life. I did this because, after destroying so much of our society, I felt I had to fix some. As long as I am alive, and I am still as immortal as I was before, I will not allow the concept of blood supremacy to poison magical Britain again. Because I feel responsible for allowing it to destroy so much."

In a way, yes, Albus understood her. Sometimes, he had wished he was able to take this view, but he knew he simply viewed the value of human life too highly. Recognizing that did not change anything, except that it stopped him from being a fool unable to know himself. He could not forgive her, but yes, he could understand her. And even though he could not forgive, he _could_ give her a second chance. Merlin knew he always stressed the importance of second chances.

It was time to move on to his next question. "How did you get Harry to conspire with you?"

A genuine smile appeared on Voldemort's - no, Tess's - lips. "Ask him. It's been two years and I can still barely comprehend how much he cares about me."

Albus looked to Harry, who came up next to Tess and put an arm around her waist. "At first," he said, "it was the benefit of the doubt. She had left Cedric alive, told me a lot of secrets she could have kept to herself, and did her best to answer my questions. She also immediately informed me of our bond when she first noticed it, when she could have used it to spy on me."

"But you are a natural occlumens," Albus said, remembering what Severus had told him.

Harry chuckled. "There is, to my knowledge, no such thing as a natural occlumens. Tess taught me all summer, every day, simply because she believed I should be able to keep her out if I wanted. That's also where she 'got me to conspire with her' as you put it. I got to know her, learned how much she regretted her past, how much she wished to change, how life had never dealt her a fair hand, and even saw some of her memories."

Suddenly, Albus was reminded of when he had gone to pick Harry up last summer. "You knew who she was all along," he said. "You never had, nor thought you had, a muggle girlfriend."

Harry shook his head. "She got through the wards by that backdoor you built in because she had no hostile intent towards me. She did have to memory charm the Dursleys to not give away her appearance or magic to you, however."

"Where else were we mislead?" Albus asked genuinely.

Harry laughed. "Where weren't you? It was Tess who gave me the horcrux memory. Tess did most of the DA's teaching, I voluntarily went under her imperius to tell the tale of what supposedly happened in the graveyard, Snape has aided us from the start, Umbridge was put under the imperius shortly after she forced me to use a blood quill during detention, and the entire Ministry operation was a set-up from start to finish, designed to get Death Eaters killed, get access to the prophecy for the both of us, and make Tess's return public."

Albus gasped. "And your reaction to the prophecy also makes much more sense now! But.. are you not worried about it?"

Harry shook his head. "It's remarkable how different it can be interpreted. We will kill each other eventually, but that is only because no one else ever can, as we ensure one another's immortality."

Albus frowned. "How does she ensure your immortality?"

Harry smiled brightly. "Tess found a way to use our bond to manipulate one of her horcruxes so its link - the way it anchors the soul to our world - instead attaches to me. As she put it, I'm the first person ever to cheat my way into a horcrux without having to kill someone or sacrifice my sanity. I've since also transferred that horcrux to Tess, just like her horcrux in my scar, because she is the person I trust most to keep it safe."

Albus did his best to process this information, but Harry continued talking.

"As for the 'neither can live while the other survives', surviving can be interpreted as barely scraping by, being unhappy with life, and we'd never allow that to continue without helping the other."

That… was a remarkable interpretation. Both in its creativity and, when one thought about it, logic.

"Let me get back to your last point. You have a horcrux."

"Yes," Harry said. "To be precise, Tess is my horcrux."

"Do you not see anything wrong with that?"

"There are two things wrong with horcruxes," Harry said, clearly having expected this question. "Having to kill someone to make it, and the ritual causing you to go insane. Hijacking Tess's horcrux - basically what we did - circumvents both of those. As for originally making the horcrux, hindsight is always perfect, but if it already exists, we might as well use it."

"Then what about the other horcruxes?"

"The Locket - the one supposedly hidden in the cave here - has become mine and has been attached to Tess's soul. Main soul, I guess I should say. Ravenclaw's Diadem, which was hidden in Hogwarts, is currently in Tess's possession, and so is Hufflepuff's Cup, which was previously hidden in the Lestrange vault at Gringotts. The Diary and the Ring have both been destroyed, and the sixth horcrux has never been made, unless you count me.

"I believe Tess intends to give me one of the last two horcruxes so we have two each, and the plan is to transfer them out of the heirlooms so those heirlooms can be gifted to Hogwarts." He smiled at her. "Perhaps I'll put my second horcrux in your wedding ring."

She pressed a kiss on his lips. "Then I'll do the same for your wedding ring."

"Talking about that," Harry grinned, "you never answered the question I asked you earlier."

She smacked him on his shoulder. "Yes, Harry. I want to marry you. Don't ever change."

He kissed her again. "I wouldn't dare."

Albus felt there was a deeper meaning behind those words, and wondered just how long she'd been saying that. Harry _had_ changed, now that Albus thought about it, but for the better. He was happy, clearly comfortable with his position in life, confident, and found someone who, despite always having been on her own - often by choice - clearly trusted him completely, and at the same time appeared to be someone he could rely on at all times, in turn. But there was one thing he couldn't help but wonder about, and from Severus's reports on Tess's changing appearance, he knew it had happened.

"How did you meet up with each other during the school year?" he asked.

Harry shrugged. "Simple, I put on my Cloak every Saturday and we met in the Shrieking Shack."

"Talking about that Cloak," Tess said, "we know there is something special about it, and that it may be related to the Tale of the Three Brothers, but couldn't find anything else."

Albus was long past being surprised about anything. "It is indeed the Cloak from the tale," he said, "and owning all three of the items would supposedly make one Master of Death, though the details of what that means vary wildly. The other two items are in fact also here. The wand is the Elder Wand, which was mine until Harry disarmed me just now, and the Resurrection Stone is the one in the Peverell ring, the former horcrux."

"I suppose that could explain why the compulsion got the better of you," Tess said, peering at him. "I won't ask." She summoned the ring from Albus's hand, then flicked it over to Harry, who caught it. "So this makes Harry Master of Death?"

"It would," Albus said. Suddenly, the realization that someone had united the Deathly Hallows – and so casually! – hit him. "The most popular theory about the Deathly Hallows is that they make the owner immortal, and the most plausible is that the owner does not fear death. Perhaps they are both right, and were in fact a prophecy originally, as they would be united by someone who is immortal but has no fear of death."

Harry studied the ring. "It allows us to talk to people who have died? Even if bringing them back permanently is not an option because it causes loss and sadness?"

* * *

The remaining Death Eaters gathered in the Room of Requirement. Nine in total, plus Malfoy and Bellatrix. Except for Bellatrix, all believed they were just a few of the Death Eaters still around; masks were so useful in hiding such things.

"Follow me," she told them. Officially, the plan was to find and kill Dumbledore, but no one would think anything of it if the insane Bellatrix would attempt some things on the side, and she _had_ been put in charge. She led them to the previously prepared corridor, then stopped.

"Wait here." She cracked a gleeful and mildly insane smile. "Draco, with me." She edged to the corner of the corridor, then turned back and cast a finite on the magical reinforcements that kept the ceiling in place.

It came down immediately in a cloud of dust and debris. Rather than watch it, Bellatrix turned her wand on her nephew and cast a stunner. However, he was quicker on the draw than she expected, and a bone-shattering curse hit her upper leg before her curse connected.

She drowned in pain.

* * *

The ceiling came crashing down. Flitwick raised five fingers. Four. Three. Two. One. Neville and the others jumped out of the hidden corridor into what looked like a warzone. Dust permeated the air, stones littered the ground, and most Death Eaters were lying on the ground, more than one bleeding from wounds.

Neville immediately shot stunners at the first two to make sure they were down. They climbed over the rubble when he saw another Death Eater rise, and he immediately started a conjuration. Just when the killing curse left the wand, Neville's conjuration appeared, and was immediately blasted apart. The Death Eater went down to the combined efforts of Ginny and Flitwick, and they continued on, stunning two more when Neville noticed who was lying on the ground, writhing in pain at the other side of the corridor.

"Bella!" he cried out, jumping over the debris towards her, heedless of any more Death Eaters that might be up and going, though luckily there weren't any.

McGonagall barely had time to gasp in surprise at the name before Neville was next to Bella, giving her leg a very brief look before pulling off her mask so he could make eye contact.

"Are you okay?" he asked, putting her head in his arms.

"Hurts...like...hell," she ground out, blinking away tears. "But I'll make it."

Neville pulled her close to comfort her and looked around. "Professor Snape, can you help her?"

Snape immediately rushed over to them and pulled her robes away to inspect the wound.

"We need Madam Pomfrey for this." He fumbled in his pocket, pulling something out and handing it to Neville. "Pain-reliever."

Neville uncorked the vial and held it to Bella's mouth. While she was drinking, McGonagall found her voice.

"_Bellatrix Lestrange_?"

"Black," Neville corrected immediately. "Now you understand why we couldn't just 'give the name' upfront? Are all Death Eaters down?"

"They are," Flitwick confirmed. "I would very much like to know how, out of everyone, _Bellatrix_ ended up a mole for our side. Supposedly."

Ginny laughed. "Wait until you hear who our ally was."

"Are you going to tell me it was You-Know-Who herself?" Flitwick deadpanned.

The teenagers hesitated, sharing a look.

"Yes," Luna said simply.

"And who was it really?" Flitwick drawled.

Ginny shrugged. "You-Know-Who. Voldemort. Tess Merope Riddle. She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." A brief pause, then: "Harry's girlfriend."

Silence.

"I'm sorry," McGonagall said. "_What_?"

"She meant," Luna clarified, "that Harry Potter has regular sexual intercourse with the woman most commonly known under the alias of Voldemort."

More - somewhat stunned - silence.

"Sometimes," Hermione tried hesitantly, "you might want to be a little less literal. Or detailed."

"But professor McGonagall asked, so I explained," Luna said with some confusion.

"You- nevermind," Hermione groaned.

"Let me clarify," McGonagall said. "The very enemy we have been fighting is not only _on our side_, somehow, but is also _romantically involved_ with her supposed nemesis?"

"That sums it up quite well," Neville said.

McGonagall looked at him. "Don't tell me you're romantically involved with Bellatrix Lestr- Bellatrix Black."

Neville glanced down at the woman whose head he still protectively held in his hands. "No, I suppose. We're pretty good friends, though." He chuckled. "Does that count?" He pulled Bella up and put her against the wall. "Perhaps someone should get Madam Pomfrey over here?"

Snape flicked his wand, sending a patronus.

"And just how did all this come to be?" Flitwick inquired.

"Bella, I'm going to need your help to fill in the details," Neville said.

She nodded.

"Well…"

* * *

Harry turned the ring three times in his hand. Wisps of mist formed and coalesced into two familiar forms, and tears welled up in Harry's eyes as he recognized them.

He had always, for so many years, wanted to talk to his parents, tell them about himself, his life, ask their advice. Now they stood before him, and he didn't know what to say. A lump formed in his throat.

They smiled at him, and James put a surprisingly solid hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently.

"Are you not mad?" Harry asked suddenly, not sure where the question came from. "That I…" he looked at Tess, who was staring at the ground rather than facing the specters.

"Mad because you forgave someone?" James asked. "What's more, mad that you forgave someone who sought forgiveness, but never believed she could find it? Your path may have been strange, Harry, but you have kept true to yourself and your heart, as I know you always will." He pulled Harry into an embrace.

"Sometimes, people do not deserve forgiveness, Harry. But those who changed, those who regret their missteps, they _always_ do. Always. You know that. And you also know her heart, better than anyone else, perhaps better than she herself does. You are her anchor, Harry, her guide. She needs you. And you know what? You need _her_. She is devoted to your happiness, your ability to live without the burdens that you are not supposed to carry weighing you down. Things that you have had to miss for far too long. Not to mention that you love her, and probably could not be happy without her. You have our blessing, Harry, and know that we will be with you, no matter the path you take."

* * *

Tess dared not look at the ghostly forms of the last innocent people she had murdered. James had stepped up to his son, and Tess was waiting for Harry to finish when a hand landed on her shoulder. Surprised, she looked up and into the eyes of Lily Potter. Harry's eyes.

She wanted to ask forgiveness, explain herself, or just ask permission to be with Harry, to be given a second chance. But she couldn't say anything, her throat was constricted.

"We forgive you," Lily spoke.

And with those simple words, all strength disappeared, and for the first time since she was a child, Tess cried. She simply stood there, tears welling up, and then Lily put her arms around her in a comforting embrace, trailing a hand through her hair, and Tess's tears flowed freely as she pulled her arms up to return the hug. She clung on for dear life, unable to deal with the torrent of emotions running through her.

"Knowledge works strangely in the afterlife," Lily said quietly. "We knew, the moment the curse hit you, that you'd returned to sanity and came to regret your actions. We knew you would try to right what you had done. But we never even imagined you would do this much for Harry." She squeezed gently, and it meant the world to Tess.

Then, she loosened the embrace to make eye contact. "He may have had a hard childhood, but I know he will have a happy life if you are with him. Even though I lament not being able to do so myself, I know I can rely on you to support him whenever needed. Just one thing: Don't you _ever_ dare leave him. You would break his heart."

"I cannot imagine a life without Harry anymore," Tess said.

"And that is why I know I can trust you. Do right by him, for however long the two of you remain alive."

"I promise. And thank you."

Lily smiled. "Thank _you_ for looking after him."

* * *

It was a quiet, but intensely happy couple of newly-engaged that led the way back to Hogwarts. The brooms Harry and Dumbledore had used couldn't carry six people, so they walked instead, Harry hand in hand with Tess. As they approached the main entrance, a small group of people filed out. Harry's friends, the professors, madam Pomfrey and a limping Bellatrix, supported by Neville and still wearing her Death Eater robes, except for the mask.

"Sirius!" McGonagall cried out when they got closer. She ran forward and grabbed him in an embrace. "It really is you!"

He laughed as he returned the hug. "The one and only, Minerva. You didn't think I would _really_ die and leave all of you behind when there were so many pranks left to play, did you?"

Bellatrix scoffed. "By all rights you should have been dead. It's pure luck you were fighting me and not someone else."

Sirius looked at her, chuckling, but then gasped. "Bella! What happened?" He rushed over to inspect her leg.

"That bastard of a nephew of mine hit me with a bone-shattering curse before I could stun him."

"What's the final report?" Tess asked, leaving Sirius to fuss over his cousin.

"Six dead, three incapacitated, Draco stunned, Bellatrix only one wounded on our side," Snape summed up.

"Glad to hear that. That means the war has truly ended today. Dumbledore, with my goals now achieved, I want to tell the country. Will you help me with that?"

"You are still guilty of murder many times over," he pointed out. "Even if you would be pardoned for all actions performed while insane, life in Azkaban is a realistic option."

"It is not," Tess argued. "I could simply kill myself, escape and find a new body. With Harry's help, it would take a few weeks at most. But I want the people to know, if nothing else, that they do not need to fear me."

Dumbledore nodded. "I will help you arrange it. And you are not a student anymore, and haven't been for a long time. Call me Albus."

"I appreciate the gesture, Albus."

"Headmaster," Harry said, "perhaps we should contact the families of the supposedly-deceased people and inform them in advance, as well as allow them a chance to meet? And for Sirius that would be most of the Order, I suppose."

He nodded. "That is a good idea. Minerva, if you please? And my apologies, Cedric, but as it is my job, I have to ask: would you desire to take your NEWTs this year, or do you need more practice?"

"Tess has made abundantly sure I am prepared," he said. "In fact, she purposefully arranged for all this to happen _before_ the exam period because she wanted to ensure I could take them now, rather than having to wait another year. I expect to ace them."

"Don't tell me the Ministry break-in was also scheduled specifically to not interfere with the exams," Dumbledore said, some slight exasperation in his voice.

"It was," Harry replied simply. "She also did most of the teaching for the DA." He chuckled. "We agreed on the name 'Dumbledore's Army' because of the irony that Voldemort was the one teaching them."

"You must have had quite a few moments like that," Dumbledore said, a twinkle in his eye.

Harry laughed. "Like when we talked about the prophecy and you said Voldemort was after me."

Dumbledore stroked his beard. "Yes, I can see how that can be amusing." He suddenly turned his eyes to Harry. "You never caught Peter by luck, did you?"

Harry shook his head. "Tess confounded him into performing the resurrection ritual for Bellatrix. That's also what cost him his second hand. And it's why he could never give a straight answer as to how he was caught; Tess had obliviated him."

"We should probably catch some sleep," Dumbledore said. "Though, Tess, perhaps we should try and get your story out tomorrow already?"

She nodded. "The quicker we do it, the smaller the chance word has already spread."

* * *

The next afternoon, Tess stepped up a quickly built podium at the base of Hogwarts; the extensive grounds made it the best place in magical Britain to address a large audience. And a large audience it was; several thousand people had gathered at the urging of Albus Dumbledore and various government leaders, but none knew exactly what this was about, other than a matter of interest to every citizen.

"Wizards and witches," Tess spoke, her voice amplified by a sonorus charm cast by Flitwick. "Citizens of the magical world. I am sure you are surprised to see me standing here, an unfamiliar face, when you have been urged to come by the likes of Albus Dumbledore and the Minister. However, introductions will have to wait; we'll get to that later.

"First, I want to tell you a story, the story of someone you all know about, even if you may not know her name. The story... of Tess Merope Riddle.

"She was born on New Year's Eve 1926 to Merope Gaunt, who was little more than a squib, and Tom Riddle, a muggle who lived in the same town. Merope had fallen in love with Tom, but he had little interest in the ugly woman from the strange family that lived nearby, so she fed him a love potion. However, while she was pregnant with her daughter, Merope came to believe Tom had come to love her, or at least would not abandon his unborn child, so she stopped feeding him the potion. She was, of course, wrong. Tom was disgusted at this woman forcing him into a relationship he didn't want, and abandoned her. A few months later, Merope gave birth to her daughter, Tess, and died not an hour after.

"Tess grew up in an orphanage, unaware of her magical heritage, but learned about her powers. Life in the orphanage was hard during the muggle Great Depression, and her powers set her further apart. However, those powers also enabled her to control the children around her through a mix of fear, respect and most importantly force.

"At the age of eleven, she received her letter from Hogwarts, and learned about the magical world. She was sorted in Slytherin. Perhaps some people here even remember her. Long believed to be muggleborn, yet she rose to prominence in Slytherin, and became prefect and later Head Girl, and received the best NEWT results since Albus Dumbledore. We will not talk about the special services award that has since been rightfully taken away.

"Despite the perfect picture people saw, Tess Riddle had dark secrets. Her position in Slytherin was built on fear, respect, the occasional bit of force and a ludicrous amount of blackmail, much like at the orphanage. In her fifth year, she found herself a research project. She already knew she was a parselmouth, and had learned she was likely a descendant of the Gaunt line, who claimed Slytherin as ancestor.

"In Hogwarts, she had found the Chamber of Secrets. Despite modern belief - and hers at the time - it was not built with the intention to kill muggleborn, but with the intention to defend the school from possible attackers. The monster inside was a basilisk. After discovering that an indirect basilisk gaze would only petrify, she let loose the monster to attack muggleborn students, which would greatly increase her reputation in Slytherin as a parselmouth."

She took a sip of water before continuing.

"And then Myrtle Warren died. It was an accident, but Tess feared execution for releasing the basilisk, and made the worst choice she could have. I will not go into detail, as the ritual is better off lost to time, but she performed a ritual that granted her immortality. Unbeknownst to her, however, the ritual ate away at her sanity. She was never a forgiving person, had never called anyone a friend, and this insanity further emphasized that. Perhaps, if she had realized how she had changed, she would have left it at that. But she did not realize it.

"Some time later, after shifting the blame for the Chamber of Secrets to someone else, she came into a position where, she believed, it was nearly without price to perform the ritual a second time. Again, she did not know the true price was her sanity.

"She had enough control to maintain her facade, but inside, she had turned into little more than a monster. She performed the ritual again, willing to pay any price for her guaranteed survival now, and was now far on the path that would lead her to shed her identity and take up a new name. Voldemort."

She paused for a moment so that her gasping-in-fear public could process the information.

"Tess Riddle disappeared for almost two decades soon after her graduation. When she resurfaced, she had named herself Voldemort and was feeling out the pureblood sentiment of magical Britain in preparation for her attempt to take power. Why? Because she had become arrogant enough to believe she deserved it.

"She built a powerbase among those old, influential families like the Malfoys and the Lestranges, and started her war of terror. Of course, you know most of what happened in the next few years, during the war. And then came 1980. Early in the year, an informant told her he had overheard part of a prophecy. It's exact wording is not important and easily misinterpreted, but she believed the prophecy to foretell her possible downfall by someone born later that year. Harry Potter.

"Most of what happened that Halloween night in '81 is widely known, but one thing has never been told. Before we get to that, however, I want to cast our minds forward to the last two years, ever since her resurrection.

"I assume everyone here will remember the Azkaban outbreak, orchestrated by her. Despite her control over the dementors, no fewer than six Death Eaters died. In the battle at the Ministry, of the twelve Death Eaters that had been sent, nine died and two more were captured. During almost every raid, a number of Death Eaters lost their lives in various accidents. Just yesterday, nine Death Eaters were led into a trap and killed right here at Hogwarts, immediately after they had done the impossible and circumvented Hogwarts's wards.

"What happened? Why were casualties so high? The answer lies in 1981. The ritual previously mentioned, the ritual that grants immortality, does not only cause insanity. If the one who has performed the ritual dies, or rather, would have died if not for their obtained immortality, their sanity is returned, allowing them to see their actions, performed while insane, with perfect clarity.

"That night, the person of Voldemort died, leaving behind the shade of Tess Riddle, robbed of a body, and now clearly seeing the crimes she had committed, the horrors she had inflicted on society.

"At first, she considered leaving everything behind, never to return. But left without a body, the only thing she could do was think. Over time, she started pondering her rise to power, and realized just how easily her followers had been convinced to raise their wands against others, against muggleborns and muggles, halfbloods, purebloods, _anyone_ that was unwilling to treat fellow humans as beasts just depending on how they were born was an acceptable target for murder and torture according to them.

"If all the Death Eaters had been imprisoned, Tess Riddle would never have bothered, and left England alone. But many of her followers bribed the government and continued their lives, often not even taking a hit to their reputation. For now, they mostly behaved. But Tess knew, as soon as the next power-hungry wizard or witch came around and started preaching pureblood superiority for their own ends, her old followers would flock to their banner.

"So she devised a plan. She would pre-empt them, she would return, and for the eye of the public continue her war. However, behind the scenes she would ensure her supposed followers either died or were caught red-handed performing activities that were cause to sentence them to life in Azkaban. And _that_ is why casualties were so high. Yesterday evening, here in Hogwarts, the last free Death Eaters lost their lives. There are no followers of Voldemort around any longer, except those in Azkaban.

"She also knew it would be impossible to carry out this plan without any casualties on the opposing side – it would stand out, people would take note. However, casualties can be faked. Perhaps the three most well-known victims of the war are Cedric Diggory, Sirius Black and Amelia Bones. All three, as you can see" (she gestured towards the three, who stepped onto the podium) "are quite alive, and simply hid away, even aiding Tess Riddle in her goals. And that is how we arrived here, today, at the end of a war that was never real. And then, there is just one more thing I wish to tell you."

She fell silent, observing the crowd for a long time. Finally, she spoke the words.

"I am Tess Riddle."

Silence reigned for several seconds, then people started shouting. Dumbledore… Albus managed to call them to order, however, and he stepped up on the podium.

"Ladies, gentlemen!" he called out. "Just yesterday, I myself was made aware of this… rather unexpected turn of events. However, I have ascertained the truth of Miss Riddle's statements, and would like to vouch for said truth. Please, remain calm. Anyone who wishes to can ask their questions."

That did not do much to silence the crowd – many questions were shouted through the air at the same time. A bang from Albus's wand shut everyone up again. "One by one. Mrs Weasley, you first."

Molly Weasley stood up from her chair and received a sonorus from Dumbledore. "Two of my children found their lives in danger at the Ministry, as did four others. Does that not bother you at all?"

Before Tess could reply, Ginny stood up next to her mother, and quickly received a sonorus of her own. "We were not in danger," she said. "Tess had given the Death Eaters explicit orders not to kill or permanently harm us, and we all knew what we were getting into beforehand. It was our own choice to be involved." From the podium, Tess could see the others from the Ministry voice their agreement.

The next person to speak up was Amelia Bones' replacement. "Several dozens of muggles have lost their lives in the various raids you 'used' to kill Death Eaters, to say nothing of the illegality of killing anyone, even including Death Eaters. They should have been brought to court instead. What do you have to say to this?"

Again, before Tess could reply someone else stepped forward. This time, it was Amelia. "I can personally confirm that the reports of raids after my supposed death were falsified, and no casualties actually took place apart from Death Eater casualties, and have no reason to assume it is different for the raids before that time. In addition, I can confirm that all material damage was compensated through anonymous donations. As for the second half of you question, I will leave that to Miss Riddle."

Tess nodded in thanks. "Yes, the Death Eaters. I am fully aware that what I did was unlawful. However, the 1981 trials have shown that the Ministry was unable to identify and imprison many Death Eaters, including the likes of Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and the Carrow twins. Even my testimony does not hold up against a big enough bag of galleons, so I decided to pursue a more effective solution, which had the additional benefit of further discrediting the blood purism sentiment by killing its influential proponents while they were performing acts of terrorism.

"If you wish to take me to court for my actions against the Death Eaters, my defense will also be as such; that these people were willing to commit murder, torture, and general acts of terrorism, and needed to be stopped from doing so, no matter the method used to achieve that. If you wish to take me to court for the actions I performed on or before October 31st of 1981, I will instead plead that I cannot be held accountable for my actions at the time, as I was insane, while I am insane no longer and there is no risk of me going insane again. Because of this, there is no chance for repetition, while the goal of incarceration is to make repetition of crimes impossible for the duration of the incarceration and to punish perpetrators in the hope they will not commit another crime once they are released."

"According to the law," the DMLE head countered, "you have to be tried."

Tess nodded. "I had expected to hear that if I came here today to tell my story. If you wish to arrest me after this, I will come with you. However, I came here because I want everyone to know they do not need to fear war any longer, let alone the name Voldemort."

One of the aurors stood. "You seem remarkably unconcerned about potential imprisonment."

"Because I am," Tess replied. "I am still immortal. If you imprison me, I can simply kill myself, return to the wraith form I have had for over a decade, then find myself a new body and create a new identity. If you instead execute me, I will do the exact same thing."

"So you would not submit yourself to the law, then?" the head of the DMLE asked harshly.

"I am, objectively, too powerful to be forced to submit to it," Tess said, "and I have no intention to remain in a cold, dark, moist prison cell when I have finally found reasons to live after more than half a century. You will not need to fear any crimes from my side. If you wish to hold a trial for my actions, then that is fine, but know it will make no difference in the end. And if you wish to discuss this more, feel free to invite me for a talk or simply start the trial, but for now we should perhaps let the matter rest."

"Yes," Albus agreed, "that would perhaps be best." He scoured the public for more questions, and Tess – and accomplices – continued answering many of them. After a while, Bellatrix's story was told when someone asked about the Ministry battle, which caused a lengthy discussion between Neville and his grandmother, and many, many more subjects were raised before night fell and everyone was sent home. However, it appeared most people were appeased. A trial was still a possibility, but Albus and Tess both thought it was unlikely to happen.

Tired, Tess made her way to Harry – their relationship had become public somewhere along the line, too – and embraced him, placing a kiss on his lips.

She grinned tiredly. "And here we are, two years after that night in the graveyard."

Harry chuckled. "I was so scared that night I almost shit my pants. I'm not sure how much I actually believed you, even with everything you said and did, until a few days into the holiday."

"And yet you submitted to my imperius."

"Because you could not harm me with it, and I knew I could blow up your plans if I had reason to believe you were lying. Besides, _if_ you were lying, then the Order's preparation would be there anyway, so it's not like what you did would've given you any advantage."

She gave him a mischievous look. "What if this is all part of the plan."

He laughed and poked her in her ribs. "I'm not falling for that one anymore, Tess. I wizened up too much. Not to mention it's pretty hard for you to completely hide your thoughts with the strength our bond now has." He planted a kiss in her neck.

"I love you, Harry."

"I love you, Tess."


	21. Epilogue: Professor Riddle

**AN: As promised, the epilogue. I went back and forth on how much detail I wanted to add, in particular the possibility of any offspring, but in the end I decided to leave it up to the reader. Personal headcanon is that Harry and Tess's first child is a daughter and that Tess insisted they call her Lily, though. Also, the bonus chapter will go live immediately after this chapter, for a two for one special.**

* * *

**Epilogue: Professor Riddle**

* * *

Tess knocked.

"Come in," Albus's voice sounded.

Tess entered the office. Though it was exam time, the headmaster had been able to make some time for her. They exchanged introductions and she sat down in the chair in front of the desk.

"What can I do for you?" Albus asked.

"I don't know if you've heard yet, but I'm definitively not getting a trial," Tess said. "The implication I got from the notice was that they wanted to give me one, but at the same time didn't want to bother wasting time on something they knew wasn't actually going to matter. Of course, that means I'm now a free woman."

Albus nodded. "Please continue."

"Some people would probably expect me to pursue a political career. Personally, I feel that would be a bad idea. I don't need or want so much responsibility, and more importantly I don't think going into politics with my past would look good."

"I think I can see where you are going," Albus mused.

Tess nodded. "Politics was never my first interest anyway – it was just power that started enticing me once I'd made those horcruxes. No, the one thing I always loved more than anything else, even if I hid it behind exchanges of favors, is teaching people. I want to apply for a job as teacher."

"We do not currently have any open positions," Albus said carefully, clearly ready for her explanation.

"I highly doubt Severus wishes to remain teaching now that he no longer needs protection to stay out of Azkaban, nor needs to spy for either of us. And even if he did… the curse is still there, _something_ would force him out a few weeks from now."

Albus stroked his beard. "Yes, that curse… I have never been able to even figure out how it works, let alone undo it. Surely you will do that though, won't you?"

Tess smiled. "I won't even have to do that if you accept my application – one of the ways the curse can be broken is if I get the job. But I'll be happy to explain the entire curse to you if you wish."

"I turned you away once before."

"That you did. After all, you knew of my interests at the time, and from my appearance it wasn't that much of a stretch to assume I'd performed the horcrux ritual – perhaps even more than once."

He inclined his head in acknowledgement. "What makes you desirable over other potential candidates? Because I have to agree – I do not expect Severus to remain."

"I am, of course, extremely knowledgeable in the Dark Arts and it's capabilities," Tess replied with a chuckle. "I have also displayed teaching ability with the DA I spurred Harry to form last year, though that was of course a less professional situation, not to mention the need to teach through him. I also know how to command respect and interest an audience, two often undervalued capabilities in teaching positions."

"Would you be able to create a lesson plan?"

"I feel very confident in doing so. By my nature, I tend to plan everything out; the same would hold for teaching. Of course, I would fill in the details in the moment, to avoid getting as stale as Binns. If you wish, I can hand in a lesson plan for all seven years in two weeks. On top of that, I can offer remedial lessons where needed due to the irregular teaching of the past."

"You are engaged to Harry Potter. Though he will be an adult by the start of next year, he would still be your student. Are you certain you can maintain a professional relationship?"

"I wouldn't consider myself a good teacher if I couldn't. I will admit I expect him to score straight Outstandings, but that is little different from this or last year, to my knowledge. In class, and in public around the school, I will treat him like any other student, or perhaps even a little more severe because I know what he's capable of."

"Consider your application entered. I expect your lesson plan in two weeks, and will wait a few weeks longer to see if any other applications are turned in. I expect you will be the favored applicant, but if I decide on someone else I will require of you that you remove the curse."

Tess nodded. "That stands to reason. Apart from this, I think I have little to discuss. Unless you have something…?"

Albus shook his head.

"In that case, goodbye, and I hope we will be colleagues next year."

"Goodbye."

* * *

"Five points to Gryffindor," Tess spoke as she shimmered into view and walked to the front of the class in between the already-seated students. Harry smiled inwardly.

"What?" Malfoy complained. "What for?"

"More precisely, five points to Mr Potter for being the only student among you all to notice I was standing next to the door under a disillusionment charm."

Hermione raised her hand.

"Miss Granger?"

"He has the bond, that gives him an unfair advantage."

Tess clucked her tongue. "Two points from Gryffindor, but you will get them back if you explain to me what mistake you made."

Hermione looked at the both of them, weighed her head a little, opened her mouth, thought a little more, then gave up. "I don't know."

"You had incomplete knowledge, and rather than looking for more information, you made assumptions based on this incomplete knowledge. To be more specific, you knew Mr Potter was the only student to have noticed me, and you knew we have a mental connection. You immediately assumed the two would be related, which would indeed be an unfair advantage, while you should have considered the possibility I took precautions against it. Mr Potter, according to our connection, where was I?"

"In your office, professor."

"Let's make this the second lesson of today," Tess continued. "When you have incomplete information about a situation, do not make assumptions. We have all seen, these last few years, how easy it is to take advantage of people's assumptions. Instead, withhold your assumptions as long as possible and gather more information.

"Of course, the first lesson of today is that you should always be aware of your surroundings. It is impossible to defend yourself from the Dark Arts – or anything else – if you let yourself be caught by surprise. And perhaps someone has to add something to that?"

Harry immediately raised his hand. Tess looked around if anyone else had noticed anything, then called on him.

"There's someone else disillusioned, next to the window. I think it's professor Dumbledore."

The man chuckled and shimmered into view. "Another five points to Gryffindor."

Malfoy interrupted him before he could continue. "That's unfair! You're just biased in favor of Potter!"

"Mr Malfoy!" Tess reprimanded. "Please reconsider your attitude. You have been given a second chance and are only here because the headmaster and I have pleaded on your behalf. Do not make us change our mind." She turned towards Dumbledore. "I think I already have an idea, but perhaps you wish to explain why you are here?"

"I figured it might be prudent to observe your first class," Dumbledore said. "Simply to make certain everything is proceeding as intended. Just ignore me."

Tess nodded. "Very well. Now, with some of the absolute basics out of the way, I would like to determine your current capabilities, as I realize teaching of this class has been… irregular. In order to do this, I will ask you to perform a number of spells of varying difficulty levels. We will start from there and make sure you are all ready for your NEWTs by the end of the year."

A Hufflepuff raised her hand. "What about the curse on the teaching position?"

"The curse has been broken," Albus interrupted. "I have to admit it was one of the most intricate pieces of magic I have ever come across."

Tess directed the students to leave their desks, upon which said desks were put against the walls, and she conjured a number of targets in front of the last, empty wall. They went through various spells for most of the lesson, until eventually they came to the end.

"If you kept up until now," Tess said, "you are very well on track for your NEWT, and I expect an E or better from you. There is one last spell I wish to observe. Even though it is beyond NEWT level, I know at least some of you can cast it. Please cast the patronus charm if you are able."

Harry immediately cast the spell, and the snake sprung forward from his wand, causing someone behind him to gasp. He turned around to find a shocked Susan Bones.

"Wasn't your patronus a stag?"

Harry smiled. "Remember, in the DA, how I didn't to show my patronus because it had changed? This is why."

After a moment, she nodded in sudden understanding. "Your patronus had changed because of your girlfriend and you didn't want it known who it was!"

"Exactly," Harry said. "A snake patronus would've caused all kinds of unwelcome questions." He looked over at the headmaster. "Headmaster Dumbledore might even have figured it out."

"Perhaps," Dumbledore replied, "but only after picking you up from your uncle and aunt, and I would wager you'd have gone with a different cover story otherwise."

"That we would have," Tess said, walking up to them. "Miss Bones, can you still do it?"

"Oh!" Susan said suddenly, focus back on her wand. On second try, she successfully cast the spell, a badger jumping forward.

"Very good," Tess said. "Still taking after your aunt, I see."

The lesson was over soon after that, and Harry was deliberately slow with packing his bag so he remained behind with Tess. As soon as the classroom was empty, she walked up to him.

"How'd I do?"

"Great," Harry replied honestly. "But I already knew you were a great teacher."

"It helps to have a great student," Tess said. "Dumbledore's disillusionment is very good, and seeing through it is no small feat."

"Thanks," Harry replied. "So why was he here?"

She gave him a quick kiss. "To make sure I wouldn't be biased in your favor, I think."

"You'd never do that!"

She smiled. "Of course I wouldn't, but you have to remember Dumbledore doesn't know me nearly as well as you do, Harry. He only has a few dinners these last months to go off, while we've practically been spending every day together these last two years. Now, don't you have another class?"

He kissed her, then slung his bag over his shoulder. "I do, see you this evening, Tess."

She laughed behind him. "Maybe we can do some roleplaying."

Harry's cheeks were beet red when he left the classroom.

It didn't help that he again noticed Dumbledore under a disillusionment charm, waiting outside.

* * *

The wedding came the summer after seventh year – after all, Tess argued, Harry had asked her a year before that, it would be strange to wait longer than that, also considering neither had had any doubts where they'd been heading. Harry, unwilling to leave Hogwarts and Tess behind, moved in at Hogwarts and became professor Tess Potter's teaching assistant. According to Ginny, he was 'worse than professor Riddle – uh, Potter – but better than the others except maybe Lupin' which was good enough for him. And besides, he got better with time. When Dumbledore finally resigned from his position as headmaster a dozen years later – and just a few years before his death – Tess became headmistress while Harry took over the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

* * *

It was six years after Neville had finished Hogwarts that he received a raven patronus asking him to come to St Mungo's immediately.

He apparated over, made his way to the fourth floor where his parents still resided, made his way over to them, and stopped dead in his tracks. There, his parents were… only they were resting against the wall, sitting on their beds, and conversing with various healers. Next to them stood a beaming Bellatrix.

Suddenly, Neville rushed forwards, grabbing her in an embrace and kissing her passionately. She chuckled when he finally released her.

"Now that's quite forward of you."

He grew red as a tomato. "S-sorry, I didn't mean…"

She pulled him in another hug. "I'm just teasing you, Nev. Let's be honest, this was a long time coming. Now why don't you go talk with your parents first?"

"Yes, of course. Thank you Bella," he stammered. "Thank you."

She chuckled and followed him as he made his way to his parents. He had twenty-three years to catch up on. And, it appeared, a girlfriend.

* * *

Harry had never become the new Dumbledore, as would probably have happened if Tess _had_ been an enemy until the end and he'd somehow have defeated her. However, being a couple of the strongest witch and one of the strongest wizards of the century, not to mention immortal, came with quite a bit of political weight which they occasionally had to throw around, for example in the 2050s when blood superiority seemed to make a reappearance for all of two months.

Most of the time, however, Harry did not find himself in dangerous situations anymore (or whatever counted for dangerous if you had two horcruxes) and lived the life he'd always dreamed of. Well, except when the various Marauder offspring found themselves in his classes. Every single one seemed determined to live on the legacy of the original Marauders. When he'd complained about it on Halloween – every year, as had become tradition, they used the Resurrection Stone to summon his parents on that evening – James had just laughed and reminded him he'd helped pulling a two year long prank on the entire country. Which… fair point.

All in all, life was pretty good when the insanity Harry had grown up with wasn't there.


	22. BONUS: A Different Trial

**AN: I actually like this less now that the entire thing has been written, and even considered not uploading it. However, I promised it, so here it is. This is a non-canon (non-fanon?) chapter that explores the question of "what if Harry had been sentenced guilty because Mrs Figg's testimony wasn't there?" If you read canon, you'll find that her testimony was all over the place, so it likely mattered little, but her not being present with the dementors (because there were no guards, so she wasn't out there to try to find the guard that had left while on duty) DID make for a change compared to canon. Most of this was written two months back, basically when I was at this point chronologically in my writing (it has never been my intention to make this canon though), but the last few hundred words were written just yesterday after I finished the epilogue.**

* * *

**Bonus: A Different Trial**

* * *

"The accused has been judged guilty of all charges. The punishment will be as follows: The accused will be expelled from the Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft, and his wand will be snapped. Aurors, please confiscate the wand."

"Cornelius," Dumbledore began, but Tess was not as patient.

_Get ready to bolt for the door._

Harry locked his eyes on said door, and a second later Dumbledore was interrupted by a series of loud bangs and thick black smoke obscuring the room, causing everyone to shout out in surprise and confusion. Immediately, Harry leapt out of his chair and ran, though he could barely see where he placed his feet. By the time he was halfway, wind blew left and right from various wizards and witches trying to clear the smoke. Still, he continued, and a wizard Harry didn't recognize got a clear view and shot a stunner at him, only to be absorbed by a shield.

_Thanks!_ Harry exclaimed as he reached the door, which was guarded by two Aurors that got banished away, and from behind him a blasting curse shot past Harry and crashed through the door. He leapt over the rubble and continued on.

_Left! Straight! Through that door!_

Harry followed, and moments after he burst through the door it closed behind him and several locking charms were applied.

"Let's get out quickly," the disembodied voice of Tess said. Harry followed her lead through mental conversation, and several minutes later they stood on the streets of London, where she took off the Cloak.

"What now?" he asked. "If you'd bring me back to Grimmauld Place there's no way I could get away with not telling them about you."

"I know," Tess said. "So I'm taking you along to Riddle Manor and then I'll send Dumbledore a letter. Ever side-along Apparated before?"

Harry shook his head.

"Prepare yourself then, it's not the most pleasant feeling."

Tess grabbed his arm, and suddenly Harry felt as if he got squeezed through a narrow rubber tube, leaving him slightly nauseous when they arrived in front of a manor several seconds later.

"I'll show you around quickly, and then you can tell Cedric what happened while I'm writing the letter. We'll see what we do after that."

* * *

Albus Dumbledore hastily Apparated to Grimmauld Place - after he had abundantly shown he had nothing to do with Harry's escape, of course. In fact, he was just as worried, if not more. He walked into the kitchen to find all the Weasleys, Hermione and Sirius waiting. Currently, no other Order members seemed to be around. Looks of shock appeared upon their faces when they saw his expression.

"What happened?" Sirius asked, craning his neck to see if Harry was behind Albus.

"I'm afraid I have to admit I don't know," Albus said. "Harry was convicted, but before I had the chance to reason with Cornelius or the Aurors had the chance to confiscate his wand, someone cast several smoke spells to obscure the room. I could not see much, but from what I _did_ see, Harry seems to have used the distraction to get out of the courtroom. Whoever cast the smoke spells also cleared the path for him, and when I tried to follow him I couldn't because the next door had been shut with several locking charms. I feel confident in saying that Harry's wand hasn't been taken from him, and that he was ready for this, but other than that I don't know where he is."

A multitude of distressed faces looked back at him.

"Do you have any idea who could have done this?" Sirius asked.

Albus shook his head. "I believe that whoever did this was hidden under an invisibility cloak, perhaps even Harry's own Cloak, but he or she must also have been an experienced wizard or witch. In all honesty, the only non-Order member I can think of who would be able to cast so quickly and precisely is Voldemort, and that assumption would be ridiculous for various different reasons. First, she would not risk herself in the Ministry at this point, second, she obviously wouldn't protect Harry, and third, she would never give herself away like this after the Ministry is denying her return so completely."

"So we do not know who this mystery witch or wizard is?" Molly asked.

Albus shook his head and was about to speak when an owl flew in through the open window and dropped a letter in his lap. Quickly, he opened it and read.

"_To Albus Dumbledore (and the Order),_

"_Harry is safe._" A series of relieved sighs went through the room. _"I figured I should get that out of the way first, as it is no doubt your foremost concern. He is currently hidden away from the Ministry under a set of protective wards until the sentence can be reversed._

"_However, the need to get him away from the Ministry in itself presents several problems. Because of this, I would like to meet with you and you alone as soon as possible, preferably today. Send me an owl with your preferred time and place. Please do everything in your power to make sure knowledge of this meeting does not extend beyond the Order. In particular, it is imperative no Death Eater hears about this._"

Albus read the signed name and his breath hitched in his throat.

"What is it?" Molly prodded.

"It is signed… It is signed Tess Riddle, which is Voldemort's birth name."

"_What_?" Sirius exclaimed, dashing around the table to look over Albus' shoulder. The rest of the audience seemed to stunned to say anything.

"Why this name?" Sirius eventually asked.

"That is what I find myself wondering about as well," Albus said. "She has hated the name ever since she was a child herself. To suddenly use it now seems to make no sense. Just like it makes no sense for her to go into the Ministry, independent of the circumstances."

"What do we do?" Molly asked.

"I will accept her proposal," Albus said. He held up his hand to stop the storm of protest. "I will go to the location of the meeting as soon as I send the owl to make sure she will not be able to set up a trap, and I can handle her if she is alone. Right now, she has Harry, and seems to have control over him considering the events at the Ministry, and with this she has raised more questions than I can ignore. With her letting me choose the location and time of the meeting, she implies that she wants to talk, as she is well aware she cannot defeat me in a duel. Sirius, could you get me a quill?"

Molly tried to protest, but a hand from Albus stopped her. He turned the parchment around, accepted Sirius' quill and penned a reply.

_Meet me as soon as you receive this letter. I have charmed it as a portkey, the activation word is 'trial'._

He pulled out his wand and tapped the parchment, "_portus_," then returned the parchment to the owl.

"I will be going immediately. We will have an Order meeting this evening, make sure everyone is here, Molly, Sirius."

He rushed out the door and Apparated to the empty rural road the portkey would deliver Voldemort to. Then, he sat down on a conjured chair and waited.

It took a shorter amount of time than he had expected before two people materialized some one hundred meters away. Albus stood, vanished his chair, then cast a Sonorus on his throat.

"Who is with you?"

"Harry," Voldemort called back.

Albus canceled the charm and walked forward, meeting the two others at the halfway point. Immediately, he registered two surprises. First, Harry did not seem worried or uncomfortable at all. And second…

"Why the glamour?"

Harry snorted. "Because she's afraid I won't like her anymore otherwise." He leaned in and kissed Voldemort on the cheek, leaving Albus completely speechless.

"Let's sit down, shall we?" Voldemort said in a conversational tone as she conjured a loveseat behind her and Harry on which they sat down comfortably and close enough that they were touching each other.

Shaking off his confusion, Albus conjured his standard stuffed armchair opposite her – or them, it seemed it was. He wasn't entirely sure how to continue, so he decided to go with the simple and straightforward.

"What do you want?"

"Right now? To have that ridiculous sentence overturned so Harry doesn't need to spend his days holed up somewhere. Like the last two weeks." She gave him a pointed glare.

Albus spluttered indignantly. "What are you playing at? No, wait." He held up a hand. "Harry, are you alright?"

"As alright as one can be while on the run from the Ministry," he replied. He snorted. "And considering they're currently defaming me for 'spreading lies about the return of Voldemort', I don't feel the need to be worried, as Tess can prove them all wrong whenever is convenient."

Albus raised an eyebrow at the casual – and clearly permitted – use of her real name.

"And just why was Tess in the Ministry during your trial?"

She – again – didn't respond to the use of her birth name, to Albus' continued surprise. It had always been the perfect way to rile her up, make her think emotionally rather than rationally. "Because I'm not going to risk Harry losing his wand and place at Hogwarts over a farce," she said. "Even if it throws a wrench in my plans."

Harry pulled her close to give her a kiss on the top of her head, the perfect picture of a couple in love, and Albus found himself still absolutely clueless of the situation. Harry could resist the imperius, didn't seem to be suffering from memory loss or compulsions, and couldn't have been exposed to love potions these last two weeks.

"What is going on?" he finally said.

Voldemort sent him a smile. "Now we're getting somewhere. Where should I start?"

"How about you start with what you did to Harry?"

She snorted. "What _I_ did to _him_? Try 'what Harry did to me', instead."

"I'm innocent!" Harry protested before she could continue, raising his hands in a mock defensive gesture. Clearly, he knew what she was talking about, though Albus was still absolutely clueless.

"What do you mean?"

Harry snorted. "Miss Riddle here" – he poked her in her side, causing her to yelp – "thought she could seduce me, but then continued to fall hopelessly in love with me instead because apparently I'm too noble to resist. Or something."

Albus blinked.

Several times.

"Not how I would have put it," Voldemort said, appearing a little put out at being poked (not an emotion Albus had ever expected to see on her face), "but I suppose that is more or less an accurate summary."

"And… _when_ did this happen?"

"Last month," Harry answered casually.

But Severus had ensured him Voldemort had no interest in Harry at present. He must have been deceived by her, then. Even still, she'd first have had to find Harry, then find out there were guards there, then mislead Severus until the guards were removed, and then get close to Harry – which he'd have to somehow allow – and gain his trust and, it appeared, perhaps even his heart. In a single month.

"…How?"

Voldemort smirked. "How what?"

"How… everything. In a single month."

She smirked again. "It helps that I left a better impression on Harry that evening of the third task than you believe."

"What do you mean with that?" Albus asked sharply.

"Do you know what I believe to be the most useful – and, as it happens, least despicable – purpose of the imperius curse?"

"No," Albus said after a few seconds.

"To use it on a willing target who is able to throw off the curse if they do not condone the actions taken," Voldemort said. "It allows for unparalleled teamwork, for example, but it can also turn someone into a perfect liar if they would rather keep the truth a secret."

"I fail to see where you are going with this," Albus said.

She raised her eyebrow. "Come, think a little."

It took a few seconds for Albus to connect the dots. "Harry was under your imperius when he told me of the events after the third task?"

"Exactly," Voldemort said. "That entire story you heard? Forget it, didn't happen. About the only truth in there is the ritual of my resurrection."

"I doubt I'd have figured out the Cup was a return portkey," Harry muttered. "I don't even see why it would have been one at all if the situation had been different."

"Must I remind you that you figured out how to kill a basilisk at age _twelve_? Not to mention you then went on to figure out how to destroy _a horcrux_? Even I didn't know for certain basilisk venom could destroy them."

Albus was, again, struck speechless as Voldemort casually mentioned what he thought was her deepest secret – not to mention that she was, apparently, aware of the events in the Chamber of Secrets.

Voldemort whispered something to Harry that Albus could not make out, to which he replied in his own whisper – again too soft to make out – followed by a quick kiss on her lips. When they turned back towards Albus, they wore almost identical smirks.

"So what _did_ happen?" Albus asked, returning to the subject of the resurrection.

"We talked," Harry replied. "Or rather, Tess talked and we listened, for the most part."

"We? Who was with you?"

"Cedric."

Albus didn't know what to say. Again.

"Remember what I said about the resurrection ritual being the only truth of the story?" Voldemort said. "Cedric's still alive. He's currently in Riddle Manor studying."

"Harry brought his body back with him," Albus replied sharply.

"A transfiguration," Voldemort corrected, "meant to fake his death, as allowing him to return would be suspicious at least. But as much fun as it is to see you at a loss for words every ten seconds, we really should get to the heart of the matter. From what Harry told me about the Chamber and the extensive research you've undoubtedly performed to try and figure out how I obtained immortality, I'm assuming you know I have made several horcruxes, correct?"

Albus nodded. No use hiding he had those suspicions when she just confirmed it anyway.

"And did you know creating a horcrux causes insanity?" she continued.

"I… had my suspicions," Albus said.

Voldemort laughed. "Yes, I suppose you did. But what you most likely didn't know – if only because you would have sought me out earlier if you knew – and what I didn't know either, is that if your body dies while you have a horcrux, you regain the sanity you previously lost. Can you imagine what I felt like, after that happened to me?"

Harry put his arm around her while Albus thought back to everything Voldemort had done, and imagined a sudden return to sanity after taking those actions…

"If you are speaking the truth, I am very sorry for asking you this question, but can you prove this?"

"I've experienced it," Harry spoke up, softly. "When she was teaching me occlumency I accidentally pushed back into her mind and came across the memory."

Albus nodded slowly. "If I may ask, why were you teaching Harry occlumency?"

"Before I went to Godric's Hollow that evening, I had prepared another horcrux ritual, the last I was planning to perform. I suspect that when my body was destroyed, the soulpiece got loose and embedded itself in Harry instead, giving us a mental connection. I figured Harry should be able to keep me out if he so wanted, so I've been visiting him every day at Privet Drive to teach him."

That was… surprisingly altruistic, even for the Tess Riddle he had known before she made her first horcrux.

"And you had no other reasons?"

"Well, as mentioned earlier, I _did_ try to seduce Harry, but that didn't really happen as intended, even if the end result is much the same."

"And what was your reasoning for that?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you don't know how to regain a human appearance when disfigured from making horcruxes."

"And why Harry?" Did she perhaps intend to combat the prophecy with that? After all, the part that she knew did not state that they _would_ fight, only that he had the power to vanquish her.

"Well, first of all it would allow me to both find a lover and teach Harry occlumency, but on top of that having Harry's trust – not to mention, once again, a way to communicate with him – would go a long way towards achieving my new goals."

Ah. "Are those new goals the reason you mislead me last June?"

"Yes. I felt I owed this country a debt after… everything, and intended to eradicate the blood purist movement in an attempt to repay it. My plan was to put the Death Eaters in positions where they were likely to be killed, while protecting their supposed victims, as well as acting out a few carefully chosen moments of rage to clear out everyone in the room at those moments. I kept you in the dark because I assumed – and still assume – that you wouldn't condone such a course of action."

"And my knowledge of your motives matters because…?"

"Because you would stop me. I am correct in that, am I not?"

"To save lives? Yes, I would. Even if they are the lives of Death Eaters."

"Then there is your answer. Of course, with the Ministry sentencing Harry guilty for saving his own life and that of the cousin he didn't even _like_, we'll have to change our plans a bit. A lot."

"And what is it you're thinking of?"

"Legal action seems the logical choice, but I am uncertain if even my testimony is enough to get people like Lucius Malfoy behind bars, and I have to admit I'm not looking forward to a potential trial of my own. If I am sentenced guilty despite my defense that I cannot be held responsible for actions taken while insane, I would have to kill myself and then resurrect myself again, which is much more trouble than I want to go through."

Albus peered at her over his glasses. "If you truly regret your actions, then why do you still have your horcruxes?"

Voldemort looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Regret is the only way to reverse the creation of a horcrux," Albus summarized.

"I could argue you on that, but we have better things to do. I most certainly regret making my horcruxes, because of what I had to do, but now that I have them, I see no reason to get rid of them; it's not like it would return the people I killed to life or anything like that."

"Is simply restoring your soul not reason enough?"

"I would gladly discuss the details of the soul and soul magic with you some other time, but let's stay on topic for now, shall we?" She looked at Harry. "Besides, Harry might fall asleep otherwise."

"Hey! I wouldn't do that."

"You'd be surprised how boring and technical things like soul magic can get." She placed a kiss on his cheek.

Albus was once again surprised at how casually they interacted. He mentally shook himself and returned to the matter at hand.

"What do you propose?"

"In rough terms, reinstating your power in the Ministry by showing Fudge was the crazy one, then getting trials for all Death Eaters who went free and making absolutely damn sure they end up in Azkaban. Oh, and getting Bellatrix out of Azkaban, she only did what she did because I convinced her to make a horcrux as well." Harry poked her in the ribs again. "And getting Harry's sentence overturned, of course. That entire trial was a farce if I've ever seen one."

"Will Harry be allowed to come with me?"

"That would be the best option. Our connection allows for extremely fast communication, much better than owls. I do think we'll want to meet up a few times, however." Harry nodded at that.

"I believe it is time for him and me to leave then, to inform the Order of these… developments."

"Make certain to include Severus too when discussing this," Voldemort said, standing. "He's already aware of everything." She apparated away, leaving Albus behind dumbfounded.

"Shall we go, professor?"


End file.
